Ghost of You
by CPDSVU
Summary: What if Jay & Hailey had met while each were undercover – but neither knew that the other was a cop? Later, when they work another UC op, tragedy strikes, and Hailey's left to pick up the pieces. Until she keeps seeing Jay everywhere. Is it real? Or just the ghost of her past?
1. The Night We Met

**A/N:**** And I'm back! I've really wanted to do something with a focus on "Ghosts" (5x18: the Hailey-centric episode of PD), but then I got to thinking...what if I went back further, and made Jay the person from Hailey's past, as opposed to Garrett. So that's how this story came to be. This first chapter though, is sort of a prologue, I guess. It's the night Hailey first met Jay. They're both undercover, but neither knows the other is a cop. See how _that_ goes over below. Hope you guys like this!**

* * *

_I really should've worn better shoes_.

That was apparently the first thought that crossed Detective Hailey Upton's mind as she leaned against the bar top of Chatham Lounge. She'd never been to this particular establishment, course she hadn't really gone out on the bar scene in ages. Her unit in Robbery-Homicide wasn't too keen on socializing outside of work. Not that she minded. She was very work-focused herself, but sometimes, she just needed to cut loose. She supposed that's why they invented 6-packs and ESPN reruns.

She shifted on her feet for the umpteenth time, really wishing her partner, Cara Rafferty, hadn't talked her into wearing red high heels. Course, Hailey wasn't much of a fashion snob either, preferring her leather jackets and Converse to high heels and fitted jeans, like the ones she was currently in. "They work well together," Cara had insisted, referring to Hailey's red bodysuit (which acted as her top), skinny jeans, and matching heels. Cara even lent Hailey her red lipstick, which she felt utterly ridiculous in, but at least she could still wear her hair down in its usual messy wave pattern.

She glanced at the other end of the bar, where Cara was chatting up some guy, Hailey hoped it was a friend of their triggerman, Daniel Jacobs - but he was facing away from her, so she didn't know for sure. Daniel Jacobs was currently working the bar Hailey was idling, hence why she stayed put. The fourth dead girl in two weeks all had one thing in common: the last place they were seen alive was Chatham Lounge. Her boss, Sergeant Max Anderson, hadn't really given Daniel much thought on the suspect list, but that all changed once Hailey found the nexus. Apart from bartending and apparently murdering young women, Daniel also dealt on the side for extra cash. Each girl was found with an overdose of cocaine, as well as alcohol in their bloodstreams. His signature cocktail, apparently.

"Hey," she said, so sweetly it bordered on sugarcoating, batting her eyelashes in Daniel's direction. "I'm still waiting on that amazing Chicago cocktail you promised me."

Daniel locked eyes with her, a devilish grin taking over his face. "One more minute, sweetheart. Just gotta get this guy his beer," Daniel said, topping off a draft with foam and sending it down a few feet from where Hailey was.

"Thank you, sir." She matched the voice to a face when she locked eyes with the mystery beer drinker.

The man, maybe only a few years older than herself, was dressed in blue jeans, a blue Henley, and a zip-up puffer jacket. He was sporting some scruff, but not a full-on beard, and had one hand lazily by his side. That's not what first caught her attention though. No, that would be his green eyes, which, even from a few feet away, were just about the greenest Hailey had ever seen.

The guy raised his beer in a good faith effort, and Hailey gave him a nod, really wishing she had her own drink. Not a moment too soon though, Jacobs' famous cocktail was placed in front of her. She raised her eyebrows, meeting Daniel's glance. There was something unnerving about his gaze, but Hailey knew that's what she wanted. For him to be off his game, just a little. Or at least distracted enough to give her what she needed.

"Well," Daniel asked, eyeing the drink. "Aren't you dying to try it?"

Hailey looked from him to the drink. She didn't see anything inherently wrong with it, and given the fact that Cara had already downed a few shots and was fine made her think he wouldn't be so idiotic as to try and drug a cop. So, she took a sip. That was her first mistake.

* * *

_It would be easier to get Daniel to do a deal with me if he wasn't so busy chatting up every woman at the bar. _

Although, Detective Jay Halstead tried to rationalize, that wasn't entirely true. Daniel's attention was inherently focused on one girl in particular. Not that she was easy to miss, Jay countered, that was for sure. He had attempted to flag Daniel down with that beer call, but then his attention went to the woman that interrupted his plan. Jay watched as she chatted him up for a minute, and he figured he'd lost his chance.

He thought he could get something from another girl down the way...Cara, he thinks her name was — but she seemed too keen on asking him questions instead of answering the ones he attempted to ask. The conversation just wasn't flowing naturally, so he cut it off. That's when he turned and noticed Daniel drawn to the blonde.

He had to figure out a way to get Daniel away from the girl, or to get closer to her, as she was obviously getting closer to Daniel. He slid his beer down to his partner, Adam Ruzek, who, not that Jay was surprised anymore, downed it in a snap. He had already had one, and he knew he needed to focus a little more than most, since it was his idea for Intelligence to take the lead on this case. They were aware of the latest two victims, but he knew there had to be more as far as Daniel Jacobs was concerned. Jay knew the scumbag had to lure the girls away, then maybe try to have his way, and if he didn't get it, they'd wind up dead. Who knew exactly what transpired, but Jay was determined to make sure it didn't happen again.

"Dude, as much as I love getting free beer, will you please just make the deal happen already?" Adam asked him.

Jay gave him a look that said, 'Don't even start,' to which Adam raised his hands defensively, sighing.

"Hey man," Jay yelled to Daniel, who acted like it was the worst thing in the world to be pulled away from the blonde he was so vehemently attached to. "Sorry, but could we get another round?" When Daniel moved closer, as if he couldn't hear, that's when Jay made his move.

"And maybe, if it's not too much trouble, a moment of your time to chat about the other products you push around here?" When he watched Daniel's brows furrow, he backtracked. "Hey, dude, trust me, I got a lot of angsty Pilsen boys looking to take the edge off. They'd be prime time customers for you...besides, Vita gave you rave reviews. Said you were her go-to." Jay smiled, hoping it would sell the lie.

Truth was, Vita Ford was their most recent victim. Intelligence knew of her, and Willa Harris; two girls whose families deserved justice and closure. That's why Jay wanted to nail this SOB.

"Ah, Vita, she's good people. How'd you meet her..." he drew out the last bit of his question, hoping Jay would fill in his name.

"Ryan. And Vita and I went to high school together. Indiana."

"Oh yeah, man she told me 'bout how all you miserable farm kids used to cut loose…" Daniel paused, taking a beat to study Jay. "Alright, yeah, we'll talk. But not here." He scribbled down something on a napkin, folding it up and discreetly handing it to Jay.

It read:

_Midnight. Midway Dock just north of here._

Jay looked at it, before signaling Adam under the table. He caught Ruzek's eye for a quick second, indicating he understood, before glancing back to Daniel.

"Cool, cool." He hoped he sounded smoother than he felt.

He noticed Adam had gotten up, announcing his bathroom break. Jay heard the transmission he relayed to Voight over their ears though. "Boss, we got a meet. Midnight, Midway Dock."

"Alright. Good, that's good. Keep an eye out though. This is his hunting ground. Head on a swivel." Voight's gravel tone echoed in Jay's earpiece. He shifted his head, almost forgetting for a moment that Daniel still stood in front of him.

"So, we'll talk later, man, alright. Right now, though, I've got prettier eye candy to catch, you know what I mean?" He gave Jay a look like douchebag bros would do, and then not so subtly flicked his gaze down the bar.

Jay followed his line of sight, landing on the mysterious blonde and her friend, or who Jay assumed was her friend since they were chatting. He realized he should give him some indication he understood what he meant.

"Dude, they're hot. Have fun."

Daniel raised his eyebrows suggestively. "Oh, trust me, I intend to."

Jay didn't immediately understand what he meant, but it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. He didn't let his partner or his superior in on his suspicions though. That was his first mistake.

* * *

"Woah, you sure you're alright?"

Hailey could hear Cara's voice, but she couldn't tell why it sounded so far away. Wasn't she standing right next to her?

"Yeah," her voice sounded muffled, like her throat was coated in molasses or something. "Just one hell of a drink."

But Hailey knew she wasn't alright. Far from it, as she could feel the edges of her vision get fuzzy. _Shit_, what an idiot she was. _How could you have been so stupid_? She was too busy berating herself, she didn't hear Cara's question.

"What're you doing?!"

Her voice again sounded distant, but this time it was, as Hailey found herself wandering away from the bar. She was in desperate need of cold water, and she didn't dare ask the roofie bartender for some.

She had almost made it to the back door, where she assumed the bathrooms were located, when she felt someone else's presence by her side. A rough hand was getting dangerously close to her backside, and she tried to shrug them off, figuring it was another drunken idiot.

"Hey, where you goin' sweetheart?"

She blinked a few times, trying to clear the haze that was starting to cloud her eyes. She knew that voice. She knew that if she looked up, she'd be looking at Daniel Jacobs' face. She scrunched her face up, hating this situation the longer she was in it. She found her voice, albeit scratchy.

"You need– you need t'leave me alone."

_Where was her gun when she needed it_?

She felt beer-laden breath by her ear. "I don't know, you seem pretty out of it. Why don't you take a seat?"

Hailey wriggled out of his grasp, but faltered on her feet. Before she could so much as knee him where it hurt, she found herself on a worn-out sofa in the back corner of the bar.

She felt the white-hot panic take over her body, but her limbs were still like jello. She still tried to push him off of her, but it felt like her arms were going to break if she moved them anymore.

_Okay, Cara. Now would be a really good time to notice me being gone_…

As if on cue, Daniel Jacobs was pulled up and off of her. She was about to tell Cara to collar his ass for assault, but then she witnessed Daniel being knocked down with a right hook to his jaw, and an uppercut hit to the chest.

She knew Cara, but she knew her partner couldn't fight like that even if she wanted to. So, then who the hell just saved her life?

* * *

Jay knew it was stupid. Maybe it was the hero complex in him, he didn't really know. But, regardless, he found himself right in the middle of a hazardous situation.

He had watched the girl pull away from the bar, and since he knew the bathrooms were located in the direction she was headed, he figured she was fine. But when she didn't emerge after a couple minutes, and he noticed Daniel was nowhere to be found, he sprang into action.

"I'll be back," he had told Adam. Ruzek threw up an "OK" signal as Jay went on his way. His suspicions were right when he saw Daniel on top of the semi-conscious blonde. _Dammit_.

He'd do a lot for an investigation, but he couldn't live with himself if he knew the next victim was right in his crosshairs. He couldn't just sit there and do nothing. So, he reacted. His combat training from his Ranger days served him well, as he took Daniel down with only two hits.

Which led him to the here and now, as he moved over to the girl to make sure she was okay. "Hey, are you okay?"

She was still splayed out on the sofa, but turned her head to look at him. When she finally opened her eyes, Jay got lost in the sea of blue. Ice blue, really, but he figured now wasn't the time for technicalities.

He watched her blink a couple times, before she attempted to prop herself up on her elbows. "Woah, okay.." he whispered, hooking his hand into the crook of her arm. He was surprised she didn't flinch at his touch.

He helped her sit up, and was about to call for an ambulance when it hit him: he just fucked up his whole investigation. And he didn't even know this girl's first name.


	2. See You Again

**A/N:**** Next chapter is up! We're getting into a bit of a time jump, which will put us at the time Hailey mentioned in "Ghosts" that she and Garrett were under in Booth's crew. Just before that is when this takes place. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Hailey hated hospitals. Always had since she was little. She'd seen her mom go in a few times to get stitched up after a particularly bad night at home with her dad. There was even one time Hailey had to get her arm in a sling because she fell on it after being pushed around one too many times, she guessed.

But hospitals were also the place she'd seen miracles happen. Like when her brother and his wife had their first child, Ella. Hailey loved being an aunt more than she ever knew. So, she tried to remind herself: they weren't all bad memories. Hospitals weren't all terrible places.

It didn't put her at ease as much as she liked. While she was getting poked and prodded, she was also internally panicking.

_Why the hell was she so stupid as to let that man overpower her? But why didn't her partner notice her absence sooner?_ And, the question that plagued her most of all: _who was the man that helped her out?_

Because she was currently sitting in a hospital gown, an ophthalmoscope in her eyes, with her partner, Cara, at her bedside, flipping through a magazine.

And that mystery man was nowhere to be found. She knew he'd helped her up, but then in the chaos, she had been shuffled over to her team, and she didn't even get his name. She did know though, that her team was able to take Jacobs in, where he folded like a cheap suit.

While Hailey was happy to hear that justice was served, she was still berating herself for letting Daniel get the jump on her.

"Alright, Hailey, you're all set." The nurse said, a polite smile painted on her worn face. Hailey couldn't blame her for being tired. It was nearing 2am, and she was betting she looked as tired as she felt too.

"Thanks," she replied, slipping into her jeans, and into a t-shirt she made Cara grab from her locker.

"Rafferty," She said, making Cara look up from her magazine. "Let's go."

"Alright, alright," Cara huffed, folding up the magazine under her arm. She and Hailey walked to her car, and the silent drive home was made all the more awkward when Cara attempted to give Hailey a confidence boost.

"Look, Hailey, we still got him. That's what matters, you know?"

Hailey nodded, giving Cara a tight-lipped smile as she hopped out of the car. She gave a small wave as she walked to her door, and watched her partner drive off into the night.

She unlocked her door, taking a long breath as she stepped into her apartment. Sleep would have to wait a moment longer; because all Hailey could think of was how much she needed a drink.

* * *

"Halstead! What the hell were you thinking?" Voight's grave voice didn't faze Jay as much as it used to, but it still didn't suck any less to be yelled at by your boss in front of everyone.

"I wasn't, Sarge. I'm sorry. I went off script, I know. But they got him, right? The other officers...they arrested Daniel Jacobs, right?"

"Yeah, he was hauled off in a patrol car about 10 minutes ago. But he ain't going to our house. No, he can't! Why? Because you decided to go twenty rounds to his fucking face!"

Jay looked down, literally having to bite his tongue before he said something flippant like, 'Technically it was only two rounds.' Yeah, that would not go over well.

"Sarge," he started, trying to find a way to explain this.

"Hm?" Voight grunted as he always did, but Jay knew he cared enough to listen. He always had.

"I just couldn't live with myself if something happened to that girl right in front of my eyes, you know? Like not literally, but I mean, I was right there. And if I didn't do anything...I wouldn't have been able to handle it if the next time I saw her body was on a slab in the morgue."

Hank surprised Jay by nodding, and giving his shoulder a light pat. "It's alright, Jay. You're a good cop, with a good heart. That's how you are, and _who_ you are. I respect that."

Jay nodded appreciatively, and the two parted ways to head back to the district. Time to pack things up and go home; if only to catch a few winks before doing it all over again.

When Jay finally arrived home, the sun had just started to peak through, signaling the break of a new day. He was utterly exhausted, so while most people were jumping up to greet the day, Jay said sayonara the moment his head hit the pillow.

The days continued to pass for both Jay and Hailey at their respective jobs. Even though Intelligence had a higher solve rate than that of Robbery-Homicide, the latter felt like they worked more.

Hailey would often pull all-nighters, working till dawn or dusk. She didn't always have to, but what could she say? It was the way she was wired.

"Hailey," Cara asked her one day after a particularly gruesome case, "Go home. Get some rest. We can write up our IRT's in the morning."

"I just can't get that kid out of my head," Hailey said, a sad sigh escaping her lips. "She was only 6 years old."

"I know," Cara said. She opened her mouth like she was about to say something else, but she just patted Hailey's shoulder, and went on her way.

Hailey frowned, watching her go. Sometimes she wished she knew someone who carried the weights like she did. Then she could have someone to turn to, to talk to, to be with when she was having these rough nights.

Meanwhile, Intelligence wasn't much better for Jay at the moment. He was going to therapy, albeit mandatory, after his PTSD came back during a case.

He only went because Voight made him, and while it helped some; it wasn't the same as having someone on the job to talk to. Sure, Adam tried to be there for him; but it wasn't the same. He couldn't talk to Mouse, as he himself was deployed, and while Kim tried to give him comfort, it was slightly awkward. Nothing was really natural anymore.

At times, he'd wonder if it wasn't the job but _himself_ that was the problem. He didn't have a relationship, his work hours were insane, and his dreams of settling down became a distant memory the more time passed. It just felt like something was missing.

It was hard, but at least he was on the up and up at work. He had the highest case rate in Intelligence, and he was excelling in the field.

So much so, that Voight actually recommended him for an undercover gig. When he first brought the offer to the table, he was initially surprised. His last undercover op, about 8 months ago with Daniel Jacobs, had gone sideways. _So why him?_

"Because, Intelligence caught the first buyer of this maniac, that's why." Voight told him, as if reading his mind. "But, we're not working alone on this, as another department has already put someone on the inside. His name is Garrett Reynolds. He's under as Ronald Booth's right-hand man."

"Okay, so is that who I'm working with?"

Voight shook his head. "No. We pulled you because you work well with another person. And you've played well as half of a couple before."

"A couple?"

"Yes, we're pitching you as Booth's new buyer. And Detective Hailey Upton from Robbery-Homicide will go under as your girlfriend."

"Okay," Jay said, drawing out the word a little bit to wrap his head around it. "And when do I meet this Detective Upton?"

"How 'bout now?"

* * *

Jay heard a voice, but judging by the slight sass in her tone, he wasn't sure if he should turn around just yet.

Voight took the reins instead. "Detective Upton, Sergeant Anderson. We weren't expecting you both until this evening."

"Sorry, Sergeant." Max Anderson apologized. "But we received intel from Garrett that Booth was having a fit about his buyer being in the wind. He jumped the gun a bit and said he knew someone who knew someone. So, now we've got to move on this before Booth loses interest. We need to pitch Jay and Hailey ASAP."

Voight nodded. "Alright. Well, no time like the present, I guess. Jay Halstead, meet Sergeant Anderson and Detective Hailey Upton."

Jay turned around in his chair, and as he stood up, he was met with a cerulean stare. He saw the recognition go off in her eyes, just as it did in his mind.

"Y—" he started to say the word 'You' but Hailey's gaze appeared to convey that of slight worry. As if he maybe shouldn't say anything. He thought it best he not piss off his fake girlfriend right off the bat, so he backtracked.

"Yes," he recovered quickly. "Nice to meet you, Detective Upton." He turned a centimeter to the left, before saying, "Sergeant." Max nodded in his direction, and he returned the acknowledgement.

He caught Hailey's eyes again, and he swore he saw something flicker in them, but she seemed to quickly compose herself. "Yes, hi. Same here." Her lips painted themselves into a thin line, forming a grimace.

The four stood in Voight's office for an awkward beat before Sergeant Anderson spoke up.

"Well, she's all yours, gentlemen. She's on loan till we get this guy. Garrett's been under for a month, so I'll run point from his POV. But, Voight," he peered between Jay and Hailey, who didn't realize they had shifted next to each other. They briefly glanced down, and both decided to split apart some. "You'll run Jay and Hailey's undercover op."

"Understood." Voight's voice carried past the tension in the room.

Hailey shook her sergeant's hand, before turning back around to face her new boss — and her new fake boyfriend — for the time being.

"Upton," Hank began, motioning for her to take a seat. "This is Intelligence. My unit. We do things a little differently here; but from what your sergeant has told me, you work well with others and have a real knack for UC work. Jay here will be the perfect fit." He motioned to Jay, who took the seat next to hers.

"So, first thing's first, you'll go see Platt for your UC apartment keys. I've got your files right here," he said, producing two Manila folders.

"Read these over before the introduction tonight. Sergeant Anderson said Garrett would relay the info to him, and he'd meet us to assist. Once you're in, you're **in**. Got it?"

The two detectives nodded, as they opened their files. Jay was now Ryan Porter, a self-proclaimed business man — real title: best drug dealer in the West Loop. Hailey's new identity was that of Kelly Tate, a drifter who needed to make her next big move— and she ended up landing the man too. So now they're a packaged deal as far as mixing business with pleasure is concerned; take it or leave it.

"And Jay? Hailey?" Voight's voice actually seemed calmer than normal. "We've got a lot riding on this, okay? Work with, not against each other. Understood?"

"Got it, Sarge."

"Yeah, understood."

Hailey stood up first, as she was in desperate need of a place that didn't involve Jay Halstead. She walked out of Hank's office slowly, but as soon as she heard the door click, she picked up the pace.

"Hailey," she heard her name drip from his lips. She could also hear his footfalls behind her. Dammit. "Wait a minute!" Jay said a little more sternly, touching her arm lightly to spin her around.

"What?" She snapped, harsher than she meant to. She sighed, trying again. "Look, let's just put that night behind us, alright?"

"Put it behind us? I screwed up my entire investigation!"

She raised her eyebrows. "And that's somehow _my_ fault?" She looked at him incredulously. "I didn't ask you to come to my rescue that night, you know."

Jay took a breath himself, realizing that he was taking out his anger on the wrong person. So much for starting off on the right foot.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—that came out wrong. You're right. It was no one's choice but my own to help you out that night." He paused, looking at his feet before looking back at up at her. "I'm..I'm glad you're okay."

Her eyes looked softer in that moment, like a weight was lifted from her. "Thanks," she said, glancing over his face instead of right in his eyes. "And not just for the apology. Thank you for saving me that night. I never got a chance to tell you that."

Jay took a brave step forward, unsure of the right gesture to convey his genuine concern and appreciation. He saw she didn't back away, instead standing her ground, like she was being strong too.

He extended his hand, and she took it. They shook, neither able to break the magnetic eye contact.

"Partners?" He asked, a gleam in his eye.

"I think you mean **couple**, but sure. _Life_ partners, then," she said, a teasing lilt in her voice.

"Mhmm." He agreed, dropping her hand from his.

"Hey, Goldilocks. You and Detective Chuckles wanna get your keys now?" Sergeant Trudy Platt's deadpan demeanor interrupted their moment.

Hailey turned, looking from Jay to Trudy. Jay just smiled. "Of course," he answered for her, as Hailey wasn't quite used to Platt's lack of a bedside manner.

She felt a small smile form on her face as she shook her head, joining her new partner at the desk.


	3. Late Night Thoughts

**A/N: And here's where things get interesting, as I'll be writing the past that Garrett and Hailey had from "Ghosts" (you know, where they were under with Booth's crew), all from my own mind. So I'll be making it up as I go along...just replace Garrett with Jay, as Hailey is going under as _Jay_'s girlfriend, in this case. Get it? Hope so! Oh, and if you recognize some of the dialogue, I took some from Hailey's monologue from 6x06 – the one where she gets that suspect to open up by using her abusive home environment. Anyhow, hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Thanks so much for all the nice feedback :) Can't wait to see what happens for Jay on Wednesday! **

* * *

"You ready for this?" Jay asked Hailey. They had been unpacking their UC apartment when Garrett's intel came through. Booth wanted to do the introduction tonight, midnight, at Humboldt Park.

"Yeah, just let me grab my jacket. I don't care what people say about it being the _Windy _City...it's December, and it's freezing now! So, Chicago should be called the Winter City, if you really think about it."

Jay chuckled. "Okay." He hadn't ever thought about it, but it was funny hearing her ramble. Entertaining, if you will.

Once she had slipped on her leather jacket, she saw that Jay was looking at her. "What?"

He pointed up and down his frame, before pointing to hers. She looked down, and smiled. They were essentially wearing the same thing: blue jeans, white t-shirts, and black jackets.

"Nice," she quipped, zipping up her jacket. She grabbed her ear piece, as did Jay. Their phones were loaded with recorders, so as soon as they were with Booth, they'd switch on.

Jay followed suit as she left the apartment to head to the meeting place. After months of not being under, Jay felt a little rusty. He could sense that Hailey was the exact opposite: cool, calm, and collected. He even let her drive his truck, as he was too wired to do so. Besides, he reasoned, he wanted to go over their cover stories one more time.

"And where'd we meet?"

"Out at CCU. Senior year. You were dealing out of your dorm room; I was the quintessential goody two shoes who didn't get into much until I met you. We parted ways, but ran back into each other a year ago after running in the same crowds."

She paused, lifting her brows slightly, as if to ask: 'that's right, right?'

Jay gave her a thumbs up. "And what's our business model look like?"

"You finally graduated from selling those dime bags to moving major weight. You're now considered the go to guy in the West Loop. We only book serious deals, no BS, no runaround. Plus, you and I make it look oh so effortless," she added that last part with a little bit of sarcasm.

When she looked at Jay, she rolled her eyes to get the point across. He chuckled at that. _Hm_, he thought. _Maybe this wouldn't be so bad._

"Oh," she started to say as she made another turn. "Even though you're the big bad dope dealer; Garrett's still Booth's second in command. So, if we do run into trouble, he should be able to help us out of it."

"Garrett Reynolds," Jay repeated the name slowly. It felt unfamiliar on his tongue. "How well do you know him?"

"Not too long. He's worked in Robbery-Homicide for...5 or 6 years I think. I'm just coming up on my fourth. Decent guy, definitely not afraid to bend the rules. Although he has been known to bend them until they break at times..." she cautioned.

Jay smirked. Hailey looked at him quizzically as she parked the truck.

"Oh, it's nothing. It's just that...he and Voight would probably get along just fine."

"So, Voight's really as crazy as they say?"

Jay just shrugged. "Sometimes."

Hailey chuckled, turning off the truck. "We set?" She asked.

Jay began to utter a semblance of "Yes..." like she should know better; but Hailey pointed to her earpiece.

Jay was glad the night sky hid his sheepish face. _Nice going, Halstead._

He finally heard the same chatter Hailey was getting, from both Voight and Anderson.

"He should be there in 2 minutes. Garrett's riding shotgun and will probably emerge from the vehicle first."

"Copy," Jay and Hailey said simultaneously. They caught each other's eye, a small smile crossed their mouths.

Ready or not, they were doing this. They just hoped they made a good first impression.

* * *

Good thing Booth and Reynolds arrived on schedule, as Jay didn't want to think anymore. He just wanted to play the part and get the case closed.

He nodded at Hailey, who looked to where his eyes were. They saw a man get out of the car.

"That's Garrett," Hailey said.

The brown-haired man was followed suit by a gray haired one, though both were sporting facial hair. Garrett had a full beard, whereas Booth had a god-awful mustache.

"Alright, let's move." Jay instructed, climbing out of the truck first.

They calmly walked towards the two men, who were leaning casually against their vehicle.

"You Ryan and Kelly?" Booth asked.

"Yeah man, these are the people I was telling you about..." Garrett started in, but Booth held up his hand to shut him up.

"I wasn't talking to you, Reynolds." Booth's tenor jolted Hailey a little bit. She flitted her eyes to Jay, who seemed a bit off put by the man's need to command the conversation.

"Yes, I'm Ryan," Jay began, desperate to end the tension that had begun to brew. "And this is my girl, Kelly." He tilted his head in Hailey's direction, and she smiled politely.

"So, _you're_ really the best pusher out of the West Loop?" Booth asked, not even trying to hide the surprise in his voice.

Jay didn't falter on his feet though, for which Hailey was grateful, as the more time she spent near Booth, the creepier the vibe got. "Sure am. Hooked up the whole area. Hell, I even landed this one that way," he said, slipping his arm around Hailey's waist.

She was thankful there were limited lights illuminating the place in the park, as her expression would've been one of slight surprise, as she wasn't expecting Jay to do that. _Pull it together, Hailey! Play your part_, she reminded herself.

"Yep, I'm hooked," she joked, earning a slight chuckle from all 3 men.

"So, gents, why don't we talk business?" Jay asked, looking between Ron and Garrett.

Booth nodded, and Garrett followed him towards a picnic bench in the center of the field they were once on the edge of.

"So, how much can you move?" Booth asked as he sat down.

"Depends on how much you need. The most I've done is 40; lowest has been 5 keys. What kinda product are you interested in?"

"Pure powder. Finest cut there is." Booth announced proudly, like it had always been his life's dream to be a drug dealer.

Jay purses his lips, appearing to be in thought. "Alright, how much weight?"

"I need 30,"

"By when?"

"Friday."

"Consider it done."

Booth opened his mouth to say something, but closed it for a second. He smirked. "It can't be that easy..."

Jay raised his hands up. "Hey man, I'm a straight shooter. That's why I am #1 in the West, alright? I don't do BS."

"Uh huh. So, then why's she here?" Booth asked, referring to Hailey.

"I could ask you the same thing," Jay countered, eyeing Garrett.

Hailey looked to Garrett for a split second. He almost looked mad at Jay's comment. But she couldn't tell if he was just acting, or if it was real.

She brushed it off, as she felt the heat of someone's stare on her. And it wasn't the blushing kind of heat; but the stiff, hot, uncomfortable kind.

She didn't have to look up to know where it was coming from. She kept looking down at the ground until she felt Jay grab her hand.

"Eh, well, you know how it is. She keeps me in line," he quipped. He smiled in her direction, and she played it up, beaming right back.

"Mhmm. Alright, well you've got two days to deliver the product to me. And Ryan?" Booth said as he got up.

Jay took a second to look at him. "Yeah?"

"I don't like surprises. You or your girl fuck this up, you won't live to regret it. We clear?"

"Crystal," Hailey said, shocking herself with a confident tone. She grimaced at Booth, it bordering on a twisted smirk of her own.

He seemed satisfied with her answer, motioning for Garrett to follow him back to their vehicle. Hailey made a move to get up when Jay grabbed her arm. She turned to look at him, but he just held up his finger. _One minute_.

Hailey slumped back onto the bench, trying to ignore their legs touching as they shifted.

Jay still wasn't looking at her. He was watching Booth and Garrett get into their car and take off.

"Okay," he whispered, finally turning to face her. "Now we can talk."

She nodded, wishing there was more light so she could actually see his face clearly. All she could do was make out the lines and planes.

"Okay, so talk."

She smirked as she thought she saw his brow quirk. Score 1: Hailey. Jay: 0.

"I think it went smoothly, all things considered. Now, all we have to do, is deliver our end of the bargain."

"Yeah," Hailey agreed, albeit hesitant.

Jay must have picked up on it, because he gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Hailey said, shrugging him off. This felt too awkward, too intimate, too _real_.

"Hailey," he tried once more. "The only way this is gonna work is if you trust me."

"Trust you? I don't even **know** you!" She exclaimed, a little bit of shock jumping out of nowhere.

Instead of firing back though, Jay simply stood up. Hailey was confused until she could make out his hand he was offering her to take.

It was her turn to arch her eyebrow in his direction, as she was genuinely confused by his gesture. "Okayyyyy," she dragged out the last syllable. "And where are we going now?"

"To get some warm drinks. We've got a whole lot of trusting to do, _Kelly_" he joked. She rolled her eyes, which made him grin slightly.

"Yeah, okay, _Ryan_" she retorted. "But if anything, you're buying me a hot chocolate, because one: this was your idea, and two: I am not drinking coffee at..." she checked her phone. "12:45 in the morning."

Jay looked down at her. "Fair enough."

Hailey shook her head as they finally made it to his truck. She climbed in to the passenger seat, figuring he'd want his wheels back. This was going to be an interesting night.

* * *

"Okay, your turn." Jay said.

"This is stupid." Hailey replied.

"Hey, it was either this, or we just have to make shit up on the spot. I mean, our UC file only gives us so much. And from the way Booth was sounding, I'm not quite sure he trusts us 100% yet," he responded.

"I don't think he trusts _anyone_ 100%," Hailey offered, looking from Jay back down to her cup of hot cocoa. He had, true to his word, driven by a Starbucks and gotten them drinks. He ordered Hailey's hot chocolate, and got himself a coffee.

"Hence why he may just randomly dig around for details," Jay said, taking another sip of his coffee.

Hailey sighed, but figured he may be right. And besides, what could it hurt? She should probably know more about the guy she was going to have be her boyfriend, right? _Pretend boyfriend,_ she scolded herself.

"Okay fine. But can we please, for the sake of my sanity, make it ten questions instead of 20? You don't need to know everything about me all in one night, Halstead," She sassed.

"Touché, Upton." He motioned for her to go. It was her turn to ask him a question. They had each answered two already.

Favorite movie?

For Jay, that was easy. _Braveheart_. For Hailey, it was _Mamma Mia_!

Describe yourself in 3 words?

For Jay: tough, kind, goofy. For Hailey: caring, loyal, empathetic.

"Any siblings?" Hailey asked.

"Yeah," Jay began, pausing to take another drink. "I have an older brother named Will. He's actually a doctor at Chicago Med."

"Oh, cool." Hailey said. "Are you guys close?"

"Hey, it's my turn to ask you!" Jay teased, to which Hailey swatted his arm. He laughed. This was surprisingly easy, just sitting here and hanging out with her.

"I kid, I kid," he admitted. "And yeah, I mean, we're better now than we were a long time ago. When he left for New York City, I was so pissed at him. Because I was finishing my deployment, and came back to take care of my, our mom."

He stopped for a second, not really sure why he was admitting all of this right now. But one look up into her eyes was enough to persuade him to keep going.

"So, after she passed it was difficult. I was mad, he was mad; we didn't talk. Maybe about 5 years ago we slowly began to rebuild things. But a few years ago, he showed up in Chicago randomly, and I thought all hell was gonna break loose. And for a little bit, it did. But he got it under control, took his surgical position at Med, and here we are."

Hailey gave him a soft smile. "I'm glad you guys are better than what you were. And I'm sorry you lost your mom. That had to be really tough on you, and Will."

She put her hand on his shoulder, a tiny way of conveying that she was there. He looked at her, and he could see the sincerity in her eyes. _Caring and empathetic were accurate descriptors_, he thought to himself.

He coughed, solidly breaking up the minuscule moment. "How about you?"

"How about me, what?"

"Any siblings?"

She smiled. "Yep, I too have an older brother...er, well, two actually. They live on the West Coast though, but I still see them on holidays or special occasions. At least I try to. I'm closest with them and my mom anyhow, who lives in Springfield."

"And your dad?" Jay asked casually.

Hailey avoided his gaze, playing with the hem of her T-shirt. "Um, he's around. Just not around us. He was...he was a real son of a bitch when we were younger. He would start drinking early, even on the weekends, like before noon. And my brothers and I...we were just kids, you know? We wanted to have fun. But he'd get mad, and then he'd pick a fight with my mom."

"Hailey," Jay said softly. "You don't have to—"

"No, no, it's okay. I uh, I should really just get it all out. Clear the air."

He nodded, understanding where she was coming from. That's what he learned in therapy. Sometimes you had to lay everything out on the table to feel better, even if it hurt some or was uncomfortable at times.

"And sometimes he'd come after us. With, whatever he could get his hands on. Belt, extension cord...didn't matter. It all hurt just the same. But I took it. And it passed. And as we got older, he simmered down. It wasn't like he'd whip us within an inch of our lives or anything. My childhood wasn't some great tragedy," she tried to minimize it.

That was what she was best at: hiding her pain. Stuffing it away into a little box in her heart.

Jay brought her out of her own head for a second by placing his hand over hers, which was draped along the back of the couch as they sat sideways. "You know you don't have to justify it. You're entitled to your pain too. It's not a...it's not a competition of who's hurting more."

"I know," she insisted. "But it's just not something I talk about much. So then when I do, it feels kind of silly...or just not...not as big of a deal. I mean, I still have both of my parents," she added, her voice barely above a whisper by the end.

"Sorry," She backtracked. "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant, I don't feel like I deserve the pity. Like I hate opening up like this because of that."

"No, I get it. I'm the same way," Jay noted.

"Wow, aren't we two peas in a very sad pod," Hailey noticed.

"Apparently so," Jay agreed, finishing off his coffee.

Hailey had just about finished her hot chocolate when she noticed Jay snickering.

"What?"

"You've got whipped cream on your cheek."

Hailey felt around her face for the culprit. "Did I get it?"

"Almost," he said. Before his brain could catch up with his body, he was reaching toward her face and getting the rest of it off. Hailey didn't dare move, let alone exhale as she felt the light touch of his fingertips on her cheek, right above her dimple. The trace of whipped cream was gone just as fast as his hand was from her face.

"Thanks," she thought she heard herself say. She wasn't completely sure, as her heartbeat hadn't stopped overtaking her ears yet.

"Yeah," she knows she heard him reply. Before she could even open her mouth to utter another word, he was up off the couch.

So much for this whole convincing couple charade, Hailey surmised. She sighed, leaning her head back against the couch cushion. This was gonna be a long night.


	4. Vulnerable

**A/N****: Back with another chapter (sorry for the bit of delay). If you recognize some of the dialogue, it's because I took it from 5x06/5x07...you'll know it when you see it, I think. This part gives you a little bit of background on Jay and Hailey; they open up more to each other. The next part will definitely feature more couple-y stuff, as they'll meet up with Garrett (you'll see it mentioned in the last section of this chapter – about possibly hearing from him). Anyway, hope ya'll like this chapter. Thank you for reading!**

* * *

Hailey woke up in the middle of the night because she thought she heard a noise. She realized she must have fallen asleep on the couch that she and Jay were just talking on mere hours ago. She picked up her phone really quickly to check the time. 4:45AM. _That's great_. She was about to lie back down when she definitely heard a sound. She couldn't precisely tell what it was, but it sounded like a rustling of some kind. She decided to go see what was up, because she was alone, and while she figured it was just Jay moving about, she wanted to be safe rather than sorry.

She got up from the sofa, and quietly crept down the short hallway that led to the bedroom. The door was closed, so she knocked softly. "Jay?" Nothing. "Hey, are you okay?" She rapped on the door once more, before it opened just shy of halfway. She peered in to the dark room, and could make out his figure on the bed. It took her a second to realize that he was the one thrashing about. She panicked a little, not knowing exactly what the best thing to do for him was. Was he having a nightmare? A seizure? She honestly didn't know.

"Jay?" She called to him a little louder. She moved closer to where he was, finding her footing in the dark. She felt around for a light switch, but couldn't find the one for the lamp that was at the bedside table. "Jay," she tried again, getting worried. _How was she supposed to wake him up? _She had made it to the edge of the bed, and tried to make out what side of his body was facing her. His arms were moving about, clutching at the covers; his head going back and forth some. Hailey didn't hear him say "Oh no," the first time, but the second time she could hear his voice break.

He had finally moved from his side onto his back, so Hailey went to grip his forearm. The tips of her fingers had barely grazed his skin when she was met with a fist to her face. "Ow," she said through gritted teeth, "Son of a bitch!" She couldn't bite back her exclamation when she tasted blood.

She must have said it loud enough because seconds later, she saw him finally stop moving around, only to perk his head up, and flip on the light. "Hailey?" She could tell his voice was strained. He sat up in bed, and she could also see the panic in his eyes when he saw her palming the side of her lip.

"Jesus, Hailey, what-" he stopped short and she took a few steps closer, sitting on the edge of the bed where there was space. She didn't say anything for a second, as she could practically see the gears turning in his brain. "Oh my God. I- Hailey, you have to know I'd never- I mean, I wasn't trying to-" he didn't finish any of his sentences, shamefully burying his head in his hands.

She cautiously touched his arm, like she meant to do before this happened. "Hey, I'm okay."

He looked up at her incredulously. "You're bleeding; you're not okay! I-" he stopped, fumbling around to look for something. "Here," he offered, handing her a tissue.

"Thanks." She dabbed at the minor cut that had formed at the very corner of her lips.

"I'm so sorry, Hailey. I...you can't even begin to understand how sorry I am. That's never happened before...well, not since I had stayed with my brother; but he stopped me before I got out of hand."

She raised her eyebrows, expecting a longer explanation to his anecdote. "Jay, just tell me what's going on...I'll listen."

She felt sad for him when he avoided her eyes, almost like he was scared to tell her. She could sense that this was a heavy topic...like he was carrying that weight all on his own.

"It started when I came home," he paused when he saw her brow quirk. "From deployment, I mean."

She nodded her head, motioning for him to continue. "I started seeing this little girl, I think she was 7 or 8. Beautiful face, dark skin. The shot, it uh, it went through a combatant, then through a doorway, and hit her. I have nightmares about it...it completely ripped open her neck, and I can still see her face. It haunts me, and it kills me that I let that happen to somebody. So, when I accidentally shot a little girl in the same way, that's when I started to lose it...to see that little girl from before, I mean. That's when everything came creeping back up, and I couldn't stop it. I went undercover with another former soldier, and we bonded. Then he got shot on the job; and I fucked up by getting with his sister, because I wanted to forget. I used the drinking and the late nights as an excuse to forget my feelings. And it didn't work. Because even if I was out of my body, my mind was still able to ground me. I couldn't escape it."

Hailey didn't make a move to say anything, as she didn't want to say the _wrong_ thing. "I– Jay, I'm so sorry you've had to go through all of that. I can't imagine what that must have been like. I know it's not the same, but I've been where you were with the accidental shooting. I mean, different circumstances, but yeah. I also had an old boss, a sergeant of mine, who I worked with when I was detailed to his task force. And every time, and I mean _every time_, that I was up for a promotion, the son of a bitch tried his best to jam me up. Even when I first got the Robbery-Homicide gig, I was up against it. You know that undercover gig from all those months ago? I had just been meritoriously promoted; it was my first big dealing out...and I messed it all up."

He was listening rather intently, as far as Hailey could tell. She could see a wave of calm wash over him, as he relaxed his shoulders. He sighed, looking at her. "I'm sorry if I made things worse for you..." he ran a hand over his face.

"Oh no," she tried to reassure him, instinctively reaching for his arm again. "You didn't. I just meant, that...even though I know it's not the same, I can kind of see where you're coming from with stressors and dealing with this job; sometimes those lines get blurry."

"Yeah. I mixed personal with professional once too. Let's just say, nothing good comes out of a workplace romance."

"You loved her?"

His eyes met hers, and for a moment, Hailey felt her breath hitch. It was like he was staring through her. "I thought I did, yeah. But uh, it wasn't exactly an equal partnership, on the job or off, if you get what I mean."

She grimaced, nodding that she could understand. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I know you backtracked on your 'I screwed up my entire investigation' comment; but you had a right to be mad. I made a wrong move that night. I shouldn't have taken that drink; I should've–"

"Hailey," he whispered, his voice sounding softer, less hoarse. "That's not on you. It's not really on me, either. We both made our choices, and honestly, I don't regret mine."

She squinted slightly, processing his words. _So, I guess I wasn't a burden after all; or a liability._ "Thanks. I appreciate that."

He lazily smiled at her. "Hey, if anyone should say thank you, it's me to you. Thanks for talking this out with me. _I _appreciate _that_."

She shook her head, smiling internally as she noted his repeat of her words. "Sure thing."

She made a move to get up, when his voice stopped her in her tracks. "You know, you don't have to leave."

She stood still, right where she was, not facing him just yet. She let out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding. "What?" She genuinely asked, as she thought she heard him wrong.

"I just meant – you can stay in here, if you want. We've only got the one bed, and that couch is decent at best. Come on," he patted the empty space next to his, on the right-hand side, a grin spreading across his face.

She scoffed, shaking her head at him again. "I promise, I'll keep my hands to myself," he teased, his smile getting even broader. Hailey rolled her eyes at him. _Yeah, okay_. She noticed he was wearing a light grey t-shirt. He must've changed while I fell asleep out there, she thought to herself. She decided she should probably change out of her jeans and jacket. She realized she hadn't responded to his remark with actual words yet. _Oops._

"Whatever you say, Halstead. I'm gonna go throw on some different clothes and then I'll be back."

"Goodnight, Hailey." She could hear the slight lyrical tone in his voice.

"Goodnight, Jay."

When she came back a few minutes later, he had already fallen back to asleep, out like a light. She glanced at him for a moment, wanting to remember that he looked kind of peaceful now, which was way better than how he was when she first found him. She smiled to herself, glad she was able to help him get through something. _Maybe this whole couple's thing will be easier than I thought_. That was the last thought she had when her head hit the pillow, as a deep slumber overtook her for the rest of the night.

* * *

Jay woke up at 6AM, like he did every morning thanks to his internal clock. He wiped the sleep from his eyes, before he remembered that he wasn't the only one in bed. He heard a faint sigh come from her lips, and she turned over on her other side, which meant she was facing him now. He looked at her for a second, trying not to notice how her pale blue shorts rose when he saw her leg move up from under the duvet. She had moved onto her stomach, slipping her hands under the pillow. As she did so, her hand harmlessly brushing his own, which sat at his side.

_Okay, time to get up now_, Jay reasoned. He snuck out to the kitchen, where he immediately put on some coffee. As that was brewing, he figured he should probably see what they could finagle for breakfast. They had done a quick grocery run yesterday, before they started unpacking. _Essentials_, Jay had said, which of course Hailey rebutted with _must-haves_. Which is why when he peered into the fridge, he couldn't help but chuckle.

A few vegetables and fruits lined the left side, along with some lean meat, eggs, and grains; while the right side held juice, beer, water, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and he knew if he opened the freezer compartment he'd find the two different kinds of ice cream Hailey insisted on buying. _Chocolate, and double chocolate_, she insisted on, to which Jay naively replied: _What's the difference?_ Hailey tsk-tsked, saying she'd have to make him one of her famous sundaes so he could really get the idea.

He swore the only healthful thing in her basket was the water. And only because she liked bottled water over tap. A dozen or so Sierra Springs lined the right-hand side. He reached for the eggs, grabbing a couple of the peppers he had bought too. He was whipping up the eggs for a Western scramble when he swore he heard her get up. Or groan, rather, as he figured the earlier hour wasn't ideal. He was almost finished with the dish when she emerged from the hallway.

"Morning," he said over his shoulder as he flipped the burner off and plated the eggs.

"Hey," she replied, her voice groggy from sleep. She yawned, stretching her arms over her head. Jay had just turned around when he noticed the silver of her stomach that showed when her arms were up. He never realized she was tanned – her skin was radiant. She must've noticed him looking at her, because she immediately tugged her top down, releasing her arms back to her sides.

"What'd you make?" She asked casually, taking a seat at the buffet.

"Western omelets."

"Oh, you mean with peppers and cheese and all that?"

He was worried. Shit, maybe he should've just done plain eggs. "What, no good?"

She smirked. "No, very good. Just wanted to get you back for staring at me."

He knew he was caught red-handed, though his hands were the only part of his upper body that didn't feel like it was on fire with slight embarrassment.

"Very funny, Hailey."

"I try," she quipped, grabbing a fork from their silverware dispenser and taking a bite of the breakfast. "It is really good, by the way."

Jay pursed his lips, but thanked her genuinely. He grabbed a fork for his own plate, sitting down next to her.

"So," he began as they were about halfway through with breakfast. "What's our plan for today?"

"Mmm," Hailey murmured, holding up her finger to say 'one minute.' She hopped down from the higher top chair and ran to get coffee. "Ah, much better." She said after taking a satisfying sip. "Um, I'm not 100% sure. I know we have today to get things prepped for tomorrow. I guess I can call my sergeant––" she paused, realizing her error. "I mean, your sergeant, and see how the product's coming."

When Jay didn't answer right away, she took back her earlier statement. "Or, I mean, you can call, he is your boss after all. Sorry, I didn't mean to overstep." She had finished her food, so she quickly rinsed off her plate in the sink to give her foot a chance to meet her mouth. _Shut up, Hailey_.

Jay chuckled as he too finished his food. "No, sorry, it wasn't that. I was just chewing," he swore, swiping a napkin across his mouth.

"Oh." Now it was Hailey who felt the heat creep up onto her cheeks. _Nice one, Upton_. "So, you're good with that idea?"

"Yeah. I'll see what else I can dig up on this Booth character, and we'll wait to hear from Garrett."

"Okay, cool."

He nodded in agreement. There was an awkward beat of silence before he hopped up himself and rinsed off his own dishes. He went to dry all of their items off, when Hailey stopped him. "No, I got this. It's the least I can do. You cooked, I can clean up."

Jay's brow furrowed, but Hailey gave him a look that reassured him that she's got this under control. "Okay...thanks." He said, turning on his heels. "I'm gonna grab a shower."

He had taken a brief glance behind him, as he was expecting her to say something in response. Instead, he saw her stretch up onto her toes to put the plate on the top shelf. Wow, she had legs for days, he thought to himself. _Could you be any more obvious_? He chided himself, not wanting to get caught again. A split-second later, he heard an "Okay," escape her lips.

He waved her off, heading down the hallway to the bathroom. _Maybe a cold shower_, he so juvenilely thought. _Maybe this whole couple's thing wouldn't be so bad…_


	5. Fake Lies, Real Life

**A/N****: Hey everyone. I know it's been a little bit; and for that I apologize. I made this chapter 5,000+ words, so hopefully that'll make up for it ;) It may sound like a little bit of a filler chapter, but it felt right to move the story along in the right direction, if that makes any sense. Also, you'll know the bit of dialogue from 5x18 (the actual Ghosts episode) when you see it. Alright, that's it. Happy reading & hope ya'll like this one! **

* * *

"Alright, thanks." Jay hung up the phone. He had just got done running searches on Ronald Booth's financials, business associates, and anything else connected to him, and his bad batches of dope that were making kids get killed and gang members start wars.

"Booth's been in this game a long time," he relayed to Hailey, who was across the way, sitting on a high-top chair, while he was on the sofa. "He's been linked to 4 other cases, but they couldn't get anything to stick. They had him on possession, but none of his guys would cop to knowing Booth was selling, so they couldn't make the trafficking charge stick. They never found him with more than marijuana on his actual person, so he only got a few years way back when; before the laws became more airtight."

"And now?" Hailey asked.

"Well, now I really wanna nail this SOB, because we're gonna be the ones putting the freaking heroin in his hands, you know? Like we've got him if we can just get him to exchange the money for the drugs. Then bam – 25 to life for the 30 keys he wants."

"And he really thinks he's outsmarted the cops?"

"Seems that way, yeah."

Jay smirked as he saw Hailey bite her tongue and raise her brows. She just looked back down at her papers, shaking her head. He decided to do the same. They had the rest of the evening to plan out tomorrow. They just needed to hear from Garrett about the meeting time and place.

A few more hours went by, so much so that Jay felt like his eyes were now unable to move off the files in his hands. He'd been scanning them forever, seeing if there was anything else they could get at.

"He likes to use off the books sites, like from his old 'paint selling job' – that was his most recent cover story, anyway, according to the files my sergeant sent over," Hailey said, her voice making Jay finally blink away from his own paperwork.

"Any last known locations or buyer names attached?"

"No, but his last known work address was listed at the corner of 43rd Street and Normal Avenue."

"Do you think he goes where he's comfortable?" Jay wonders aloud.

"Only one way to find out." Now it was his turn to shake his head at her sassy statement, but he grabbed his coat anyway, knowing they probably wouldn't be back for a while.

* * *

"Wow, I can't believe–" Jay bit his tongue, abruptly stopping the end of his sentence.

"What?" Hailey asked, as they continued to poke around Booth's LKA.

She saw Jay hide his face, and she figured it out pretty quick. "_Oh_, that I was right, you mean?"

"No!" He said, trying to defend himself.

"Uh huh, _sure._" She retorted, biting her lip to keep from laughing at his wide eyes. _Ha,_ she thought. _I really got him that time_.

"Hail–" Jay started to say, but she held her hand up. "Hey!" He whispered again, but she actually shushed him this time.

"Shh! I think someone's here."

She crept to the corner, along the wall where the storage containers were. Jay ducked behind the paint cans, trying to find something to use as a weapon, considering they didn't actually have their pieces on them at the moment.

Both of them made that mistake of leaving them in the car, along with their badges. To play up their covers, they both assumed. Now, of course, they were regretting it.

Jay was rummaging around, looking for a tool box of some kind. There had to be some way they'd get these cans open. He finally found a small tool kit underneath an empty bin, with a screwdriver, pocket knife, and some other materials. He grabbed both the tools just in case.

He was getting ready to hand one off to Hailey when he saw a shadow move in the distance. _Shit_, _someone really was here_.

He caught Hailey's eye from across the way, and she made the motions of going up, then cutting over to the front of the storage containers, so they could get the jump on whoever was going to come around that corner.

Jay understood, giving her a nod and thumbs up. He signaled her to go, and she went, doing exactly what she said she was going to do. He moved quietly to get in front of her, before finally handing her the pocket knife. She caught his eyes once more, her brow quirking up in surprise, as if to say: _Really, Jay? A pocketknife? That's the best you've got?_ He hoped he was giving her a look back that conveyed: _This was really not the time for a 'who's got the better defense mechanism?' game_.'

She rolled her eyes, and pointed for him to look ahead, as she saw the shadow looming closer in their direction. Jay had a tight drip on the screwdriver, ready to jab it into a leg or the side of whomever was unlucky enough to cross them.

_One, two, three…_

He made his move, and was about ready to stick the offender when he heard the tell-tale click of a gun trigger. _Shit_.

It was facing him right square in the face, and he hadn't stared down the barrel of a gun in a long time. He was honestly shocked. The fact there was little to no light in the supposed-to-be-abandoned paint warehouse didn't help matters either.

"Okay, let's just take it easy…" he said, as calmly as he could. He could still sense Hailey behind him, and in his peripherals, he could see the glint of the pocketknife in her hand.

She had it at the ready, and was just about to strike when she recognized the voice of the perpetrator.

"This isn't your place," the gun-toting mystery man had said.

"Jesus Christ, Garrett!" Hailey cursed. "Stop pointing your gun at my partner!"

Jay breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the gun lower and the safety was placed back on.

"What the hell was that?" Jay asked him, ready to give Garrett a piece of his mind.

"Now wait a minute," Garrett spat back, apparently fine with getting into it with Jay.

"GUYS." Hailey yelled over them. "Same team here, remember?"

"Yeah, tell that to him." Jay muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Garrett asked.

"You were the one going around half-cocked, man!" Jay accused, actually getting in Garrett's face this time.

"You two aren't even supposed to know about this place! How the hell did you find it?"

"Hailey discovered it." Jay answered matter-of-factly.

"Hm," Garrett uttered the one-worded syllable, which eerily reminded Jay of Voight. Although when Voight did it, it didn't seem anywhere near as condescending as Garrett's was.

"What the hell, Garrett? What're _you_ doing here, then?" Hailey asked, crossing her arms.

"I came here to set up a surveillance camera, if you must know."

"Yeah, we _need_ to know. Same team, remember?" Jay butted in, echoing Hailey's earlier words.

"I was gonna call you guys once it was done." Garrett added, still on the defensive.

Jay simply held up his hands, like he was so done with this conversation. Hailey looked from him to Garrett, not sure why these two had to get into it with each other now. They needed to work together, not against each other – isn't that what Voight said?

"Alright, okay, fine. Let's just drop it. Garrett, just do what you came here to do. I'm assuming we're meeting here tomorrow then, yeah? You and Ron, me and Jay?" She asked him pointedly.

Garrett nodded, not bothering to look at Jay anymore.

"What time?"

"Ron's not much for mornings. He likes the dead of night." Garrett said, trying to make a joke. It wasn't well received.

"So, what? Another midnight meeting?" Jay asked.

"Yep."

"Okay. Just call us if anything else pops off, okay?" Hailey asked Garrett.

"Sure."

She motioned for Jay to come along, and he did, falling in to step with her. They waved goodbye to Garrett, and when they got back into Jay's truck, they both let out long breaths.

"Well, that was…" Hailey paused, unsure of the proper word. _Ridiculous? Stupid? Unproductive?_

"How about – ridiculous. Utterly dangerous, and not to mention, a great waste of time?" Jay said, a little snark in his tone.

When Hailey scoffed, he turned to look at her. "Sorry, I didn't mean like, _your idea_ was bad. Just the fact that Garrett came in, guns blazing – literally, I might add – and almost took me out for no reason…_that_ was bad."

"I'm so sorry Jay. I had no idea he was going to be there. I didn't even…I don't even know how he knew about this place. Maybe he saw the files my sergeant sent me before I did? I don't know, but good god, I cannot believe him. You're okay, right?"

She met his eyes, and he knew she was really saying more than she actually spoke. _As in, did it trigger anything_?

He nodded, understanding her implication. "Yeah, I'm good. I promise. Just pissed is all."

"Well, I know the cure for that." Hailey chirped, pulling out her phone.

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"Greasy food and cheap beer." Hailey answered, chuckling as she showed him her phone, with an address a few blocks away for a bar.

Now it was Jay who burst out laughing. She couldn't be serious. When Hailey looked at him like he was crazy, that sent him even further off the cuff. "I– I'm sorry, Hailey…." He sputtered, finally calming down a bit. "It's just…I know that place. I go there all the time. I even know the owners and I, uh, I kinda had a fling with the bartender there."

"Ha!" Hailey laughed, genuinely surprised by this admission of his.

"Well, okay then. Molly's it is!"

Jay shook his head excitedly, turning on the car and driving there sans GPS, as he knew that place by heart.

* * *

"Well, well, well…" Adam said, patting Jay on the back. "Look who it is!"

"Hey man, what's up?" Jay asked him, giving him a bro hug. "Oh sorry, this is Hailey."

Adam raised his brows, looking at Jay, then to Hailey, then back at Jay again. "She's my partner in that undercover gig." Jay reminded him.

"Oh, right! Sorry, Hailey. Bad with details, good with faces, especially one as pretty as yours." Adam added suavely.

Kevin and Kim looked at him like they wanted to not know him. "Sorry for his bad game, girl. I'm Kevin, this is Kim. We work with Jay in Intelligence."

"Oh! Hi! Sorry. I've only met your guys' boss, Sergeant Voight. Well, as Jay said, I'm Hailey. Most people call me Upton…although Jay's the first one to really _not_. To each their own," she shrugged her shoulders.

Jay narrowed his eyes at her, feigning hurt, which only made Hailey grin. Unbeknownst to the duo, Jay's trio of co-workers were watching this whole exchange unfold. Adam nudged Kevin, who looked at Kim with a knowing glance. She just held her finger up to her mouth, shushing her male cohorts.

"So, what're you guys having? I can buy next round," Hailey offered, reaching her hand up to flag someone down.

Jay tried to grab her arm and pull it down, but she leaned over to the side where it was just out of his reach. "Oh no, it's the least I can do after tonight." She reminded him, giving him a rather knowing look. Jay sighed, but nodded his head.

Hailey flagged down the bartender, who got their next round for them. While they waited, Jay filled in his co-workers on the mishap of the night.

"Wow, dude, that's... intense. And you're sure he didn't know you two were headed there?" Adam asked.

"Yep, 100%. And before you say anything, I don't blame Hailey one bit. If anything, I'm still a little peeved at Garrett for coming at me like that, like it was somehow my fault for making him get out his gun?"

Hailey twisted her mouth into a sad frown. She really didn't want Jay and Garrett to hate each other. They all had to work _together_, so it would be better if they actually got along. _Then I wouldn't feel so stuck in the middle_, she reasoned.

She was relieved for a moment of distraction when the next round of shots arrived. The 5 of them downed them like pros, thankful for the alcohol's calming effect, no matter how temporary.

"So, how's the rest of the case going?" Kim asked.

"Fairly well so far. We've got all our info on Booth, and Garrett gave up the location and time of the meet..." Jay said, pausing to look at his watch. _Wow, okay 3am. Maybe they should call it a night soon._ "Which, even though it's tomorrow night, Hailey and I should probably be on our way soon. I don't think we can afford to pull off another night of barely any sleep."

"This is true," Hailey chimed in. "But, one more drink before we go, what'd ya say guys?"

Jay and his co-workers all nodded, and Hailey repeated her process again.

"Jay, you gotta bring Hailey out more often man," Adam insisted, even though Jay could tell he was clearly a little past drunk, and had veered into wasted territory.

"Okay, Ruz. Sure," he said, helping his friend out towards the door.

Kim and Kevin took over, taking Adam off of Jay's hands. "We got 'em," Kevin said.

"Yeah, you two take off," Kim added.

"Alright, bye guys," Jay waved to them.

"Nice meeting you all!" Hailey said, waving goodbye too.

They walked back to Jay's truck, hopping into their respective seats. Hailey waited for a beat before breaking the ice. "Your friends are really nice." She said it quietly, almost like she was unsure of herself.

"Yeah, they are," Jay started, before pausing to see her playing with the hem of her shirt. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I am. You guys just fit really well together. My unit...we don't hang out...outside of work, I mean. My partner, Cara, she's nice enough and everything, but we just don't 'click,' if that makes any sense."

Jay nodded, before turning to face her as much as he could. "Yeah, I get it. Funny enough, I was recently thinking about that same kind of situation. Yes, we're all friends in Intelligence, but I haven't been paired up someone permanently since Erin left. And so, I haven't had that connection with anyone since she left."

Hailey could tell from his biting tone that it wasn't a happy memory for him. _Oh_, she wondered. _Is Erin the girl he was together with? She'd almost have to be, right? _She opened her mouth to ask the obvious when he spoke first, inadvertently answering her question.

"And yes, Erin was the girl I was referring to last night. Course, now that I've been removed from it for what? Almost two years I think...it's easier to see things for what they probably were."

"Which was?" Hailey dared to ask.

"More one-sided than anything else. Sad, but true."

"I'm sorry, Jay. I can't imagine what that was like for you. I hope you know that if the one-sidedness came from her, then that's not on you. You did what you could; you can't...how do I put this. You can't make someone feel something for you. It's usually instant, or at least that spark is. But then when it dies down, that's difficult. Cause then you have to choose whether or not to hold on tighter or to let it go."

"Yeah," he said, looking out the window. "I guess she decided to let it go, because she left for New York without even saying goodbye."

"I'm sorry," Hailey whispered.

"Hailey," he said softly, and her name never sounded so _right_ coming from someone's lips before his. "You don't have to apologize."

"I know, but I'm still sorry for you...I feel bad. Cause heartbreak hurts, and from what I can tell, you're a really good guy. You don't deserve that pain."

Jay gave her a small smile. "Thanks, Hailey. I appreciate it." He stopped for a second, before adding, "Has anyone ever told you you're a really good listener?"

"Hm," she let the sound escape her throat. "Not that I can ever remember."

"Well it's true. So, thank you for listening to me; and for the...pep talk? Pity party? Whatever you call it, it helped."

"Jay," Hailey chided, only somewhat serious. "It's not a pity party. Don't make it out to be one."

"Noted," Jay said, finally turning on the truck and pulling out of the Molly's parking lot.

* * *

Jay was tapping his foot incessantly, not to mention checking his watch every 5 minutes.

"Hey," Hailey reached across the table, tapping at his hand. "Relax, he said he'll be here."

"He said that half an hour ago." Jay reminded her, sounding exasperated. "I'm not even sure what we have to go over anyway. We know what we're doing. Does _he_?"

"Yes," Hailey reassured him. "Garrett's done tons of UC work before. He's just used to doing things his way is all. I personally haven't had any problems working with him, but I know he's not that used to outsiders..."

"Like me, you mean?"

"Hey, _I_ don't think that. I'm just letting you know how he seems to be."

Jay held up his hands. "Fair enough, fair enough."

"He is usually prompt though..." Hailey added, given the current circumstances. "Maybe he got caught up with something. I'm gonna try calling him again."

She had just picked up her phone to dial again when she saw him come through the door..._with_ Booth.

"Jay!" She harshly whispered. She kicked his foot when he didn't look up.

"What?" He asked, as he was on the side of the table that was facing away from the door.

"They're _both _here. So, get over here!" Hailey motioned, tapping the empty side next to her.

"Alright, alright," Jay said, quickly getting up from his seat and sliding into the Hailey's booth.

He had just gotten comfortable when Ron and Garrett were facing them.

"Ryan," Booth's low voice greeted Jay. He nodded at him, before looking to Hailey. "Kelly."

Jay and Hailey both said their hello's, and they both ignored the fact that Garrett had ignored them.

"So, not to be rude, but we weren't expecting to see both of you until later..." Hailey meekly said.

"Ah, well, I figured whatever was so important for Garrett here to try and duck out early warranted my attention." Booth said.

"Okay," Jay said, trying to mask the uncertainty in his voice. He didn't know what the hell they were supposed to talk about now. _There was no plan B. _

"So," Booth began, raising his brows at the rest of them. "Talk. I'll just be a fly on the wall."

"Alright," Garrett said, placing his folded hands on the table. "Well, I was just coming by to make sure they were aware of the," he seemed to falter for a split second, before picking right back up. "That get-together you were yammering on about earlier today.

"Ah," Booth smirked, his body seeming to relax some, as did Garrett's, Hailey noticed.

"New Year's Eve, I like to invite all my prospective clients there, and the best sellers that will make deals happen, of course. What better to close out the year by making bank?" He posed the rhetorical question, as if any other answer would be preposterous.

"Okay," Jay dragged out the word. "So, did we make the cut?"

"That remains to be seen. Depends on how you and your girl do," he said. Hailey tried not to flinch at his hand brushing against her leg underneath the table, as they were across from each other.

She flicked her gaze towards Jay, as Ron's hand lingered there for longer than she'd like. But of course, as soon as Jay's eyes followed the pathway her eyes were making, Booth's hand was gone.

She sucked in a small breath, crossing her legs and sitting back a little to move away from Booth's hands. She couldn't get away from his wandering eye though, as she felt that same uncomfortable heat creep up onto her cheeks.

Jay definitely noticed that, as the snap of his voice made Ron face him instead of Hailey.

"_Ron_," he began. "We're straight shooters man, you know this. But, just for a little good faith effort, why don't you come with us, and we can show you a sample?"

Hailey locked eyes with Jay, trying to ask him what in the world he was doing. _They didn't have the product...did they?_

Jay grabbed her hand to pull her up with him; Booth and Garrett slid out of the seat across from them.

"Alright, let's see it."

"Right this way," Jay said.

He calmly walked to his truck, and Hailey couldn't help but feel calmer too, especially since he hadn't let go of her hand yet.

He whipped out his keys from his pocket and unlocked his truck. He motioned for Ron and Garrett to come closer to the bed of the truck, like they were looking at something. They saw a few put together packages of the finest heroin there was.

Ron seemed satisfied by this, his grin growing wider as Jay motioned for him to take them.

"What's the catch?" Garrett asked.

"There is none," Jay said, tilting his head towards Garrett.

"Yeah, like my boyfriend said, no strings." Hailey added, linking her arm with Jay's for added effect.

She felt him stiffen slightly, probably not expecting her action, but he just as easily relaxed into her too.

"Alright," Ron said, picking up the product and handing it off to Garrett. "But our meet's still on for tonight. Midnight."

He turned to walk away, as did Garrett, Jay, and Hailey, before he called out to the duo again. "Oh, Kelly? Ryan? That party...New Year's Eve. The Mason Room. Consider yourselves invited."

Garrett waved them off, and Jay did the same for he and Hailey. They slowly walked around to the front of his truck, taking their time until the coast was clear. Once Booth was out of sight, Jay and Hailey looked at each other.

"What the hell was that?" Jay wondered aloud.

"I don't know. I don't know why he had to show up. How'd you manage to pull that off anyway?" She asked him, tilting her head towards the back where the packages once were.

"Voight called me," Jay said. "Said they were almost done packing the keys up, but that it would be wise to take some as an insurance policy. Just to cover our asses essentially."

"And you didn't think to tell me?" Hailey asked.

"It jumped off just before we left to meet Garrett. I didn't have much time," he offered.

"Oh," Hailey said, putting two and two together. "So, when you said you were going for a run..."

"...I was really going to pick up the product sample from Voight."

Hailey shook her head. "Okay. But next time, clue me in. You're not alone in this."

"I know. I'm sorry. Like I said, everything happened so fast. But I swear, we're all good for the meet tonight. We'll _both_ hit upVoight tonight for the rest of the heroin, then we're home free."

"Yeah, I guess," Hailey said, breathing a sigh of relief. "And our phones are set to record tonight, right?"

Jay nodded. "Yep. Then after this, we'll take our evidence to Voight. And I'm sure your boss will be there too."

"Okay. And what're we doing until then?"

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Why don't we go grab a bite; then you can tell me all the reasons why I shouldn't yell at Garrett for blindsiding us like that," Jay joked, winking.

Hailey rolled her eyes. "Just drive, Jay."

"Anything to keep my _girlfriend_ happy." He smirked victoriously as he saw her blush.

_So, he had noticed the boyfriend drop?_ Hailey thought to herself. _Oh great._

* * *

"I'll have whatever's on tap, and the ribeye please." Jay handed off the menu to their server, before his eyes fell on Hailey.

"Can I get a white wine, and the chef's salad, please?" Hailey asked, repeating Jay's process with the menu.

"Sure thing. I'll have both of those right up."

"Thank you," they said in unison, causing them to smile at each other.

"So, what's our timeframe?" Hailey asked.

Jay chuckled. "Hailey, relax. We've got 3 hours still."

"Okay, okay," she said, but she still couldn't shake the nerves. Booth just really creeped her out today. And now the guilt of not telling Jay about it was eating at her too.

_Course he didn't tell you about the heroin sample_, her brain retorted.

_Yeah, but he eventually did_, she argued back with herself.

"Hailey? Haaaailey." Jay's hands waving in front of her face caused her to snap out of her thoughts.

"Sorry, what?"

"I just asked if you're okay. You seem a little distracted."

"No, yeah, sorry. I'm good."

Their drinks arrived, and Hailey played with the rim of her glass.

"Yeah, I'm not buying it," Jay began, before taking a drink of his beer. "Talk to me, please?"

Hailey met his eyes, which were soft and understanding. "It's really nothing."

"That's what you said last time," Jay reminded her. "Are we gonna have to play 20 questions again until you trust me?" He quipped, which made Hailey perk up a little.

"Ha, no. But I did get a creepy vibe from Booth again today. His hand was all over my leg, and he kept giving me _that_ kind of look, you know?"

"Well as far as he knows, you're taken. And besides, I'm your partner. I'm not letting anything happen to you, I promise."

Hailey felt her heart skip ten thousand beats when his hand was overtop hers. "Yeah," she breathed. "Same here, Jay. We're good. We've got this." And for once, she actually believed it.

* * *

Jay had just opened his mouth to say something when his phone chimed. He reluctantly pulled his hand away from Hailey's, and answered the phone.

"Halstead."

"Jay, we're all set on our end. Is Booth still holding onto his end of the deal?"

"As far as we know, Sarge."

"Good, good. You and Hailey watch each other's backs tonight. You both go home, you hear me?"

"Yes, I hear you."

He hung up the phone, shooting Hailey an apologetic look. She smiled at him, and then turned her head to the sound of their food arriving.

"Here you are," their server said.

"Thank you," they both responded.

They ate their food, the conversation was replaced with utter silence, unless you count the sounds of forks and knives clanging around.

"So," Hailey asked. "Who was on the phone?"

"Hank," Jay said, finishing the last bite of his food. "Just checking in. He said we're good to meet him and Max outside of the district garage where they have all the product we'll take. Have you spoken to Garrett since earlier today?"

Hailey shook her head no as she too finished her food. "I have not, but I'm gonna call him when we leave."

Jay nodded, flagging down their server for the bill.

When Hailey got out some cash, Jay tried to steal the check away from her. She pulled it back, which of course landed their hands on top of each other's again. Only this time, since they weren't really a couple, it felt different.

And yet, at the same time, neither of them made the move to let go. Hailey drew in a sharp breath, and broke the bond first. She knew she had to focus if she wanted this to work, and getting distracted by Jay was not a part of the plan.

Jay ran a hand behind his head as he grabbed the bill with his other hand. He slapped a few bills down before Hailey could object, and quickly made the move to leave.

"Fine, but next time, my treat," she told him as he held the door open for her on their way out.

Once they were situated in Jay's truck, Hailey called Garrett.

"Hey," She said. "Are you guys on the move yet?"

"No, we're getting the rest of the cash together. 300K, that's a shit ton of cash for some H."

"Yeah, no kidding."

"We're all set at the warehouse though. So, you guys just play your parts and we'll be square."

"Alright, cool. See you there, I guess."

"Yep."

She said her goodbye and hung up the phone. "Two thumbs up," she said, giving Jay two actual thumbs up for good measure.

He laughed at that. "Uh huh, okay."

"Oh, come on Halstead, loosen up! You're wound up tighter than a pair of handcuffs!"

Jay bit his lip to keep from cracking up. "A what now?"

"Oh, you know what I mean!"

"I'm pretty sure I don't..." he said, grinning at her.

"Psh, whatever. Let's just go, please? The sooner we get there, the sooner it'll be over with."

"Whatever you say, Upton."

* * *

"Well well well, if it isn't my two favorite people?" Booth announced, greeting Jay and Hailey with open arms.

"I'll play along," Jay said, trying to match Booth's mannerisms.

"So, you guys got what we need?" Hailey asked, a little impatient. She didn't wanna do the whole small talk routine, not after earlier. She didn't want to be around Ron more than she needed to be.

"Yes," Booth said, pulling out his phone to make a call. A few moments later, out of the shadows walked Garrett with two duffel bags. He set one down, and unzipped the other, revealing just enough of the cash to be believable.

"You got your product?" Booth asked.

"Yeah," Jay answered, walking over to his truck to pull down the bed. Inside were the 30 keys Booth wanted. Pure as the driven snow.

Jay was ready to hand it over, to do the deal, when Ron stopped him.

"Wait a minute," he said slowly, making both Hailey and Jay turn to face him. "I wanna check something first."

"Like what?" Jay asked, as he was now getting a little unnerved.

"Like wires."

Before either of them could process what he meant, Hailey was tossed against the hood of Booth's car like a rag doll.

Out of the corner of her eye, Hailey saw Garrett motion for Jay to place his feet apart and raise his arms. He did as instructed, and Garrett did the usual noninvasive pat down. Jay was done in 15, maybe 20 seconds.

But not Hailey, because she knew she was in trouble the second she felt Booth's hand between her legs.

She gasped, not expecting the disturbing move. In her peripherals, she saw his eyes had locked into Jay, who had taken a few steps closer to see what in the world was going on.

Hailey didn't want to meet Jay's eyes, as she felt too exposed, too vulnerable in this moment.

"Come on man, you don't gotta do it like that," he said, and Hailey swore she heard a slight plea in his tone.

But then she felt Ron's hand again, and she gasped once more, hating every second this torture went on.

She saw Jay reach toward his pocket, where she knew he had kept not only his phone, but his gun. Hailey had to leave hers in the car, just in case something like this were to happen.

They had anticipated Booth taking a liking to Hailey, but they had no idea he'd be that inappropriate.

"Woah woah woah," Garrett said, walking towards Jay. "Take it easy."

Jay shot daggers at Garrett, as he couldn't believe he was acting so okay with this. God, did the man have any heart at all? Hell, he'd worked with Hailey a lot longer than Jay had...he would've thought he'd feel something towards the disgusting behavior they just witnessed.

"Then tell your boss to get his hands off her. **Now**."

He gave Booth a deadly glare too, to make sure they knew how serious he was. He'd never experienced anything like this before. Whenever he went undercover, he always had control, and even if it was with another person, Erin wasn't always approachable, so it's not like he had to worry about guys getting grabby.

But with Hailey, it was different. Sure, she put up a bunch of walls, but Jay could see a softness there. But he hated seeing someone like Booth take advantage of that, especially right in front of his eyes.

Garrett nodded at Ron, who finally took his hands off of Hailey. "Okay, fine. She's clean. Now, about that product."

Jay pulled Hailey to him, and linked his arm with hers as they walked back over to the truck.

While they were gathering the packages, he whispered something. "Are you okay?"

Hailey nodded, meeting his eyes this time, as she didn't want them to be suspicious of tons of whispers. She barely moved her head, but gave him some semblance of a nod.

Jay glanced downward towards his pocket, and Hailey remembered the phones. Her eyes darted down, and she was relieved to find that hers, and Jay's had switched on.

"Sometime today, would be nice," they heard Garrett say.

Jay rolled his eyes, which made Hailey smirk this time.

"Here," Jay said harshly, plopping the drugs in front of the men. "Now, pay up and we'll be on our way."

"300K, right? And all 30 keys are there?"

"Yes," Jay assured.

"And yes," Hailey said.

The duffel bags made their way over to Hailey and Jay; at the same time, Ron and Garrett loaded their vehicle up with the heroin.

A deal's a deal — and they did a successful one.

Once each party was satisfied, they parted ways. What a night it had been.


	6. Anything but Normal

**A/N****: I'm back, finally! :) I actually split this chapter into two parts, though they will have separate titles just for the sake of ease. Plus, I am a writer by trade, so I love all this stuff. Anywho, this first part deals with the aftermath of Jay & Hailey's first deal with Booth and Garrett; the next chapter that I'll post after this deals with them getting ready for the aforementioned NYE party that Booth is throwing. Happy reading!**

* * *

Jay needed a drink. Tequila? No, something stronger. Scotch? He hadn't had scotch in ages. That seemed to fit the bill, so he flagged down Hermann to order one at Molly's. He looked to Hailey, who sat next to him, just as quiet on their way to the bar as she was when they sat down.

He knew he should say something, but he wasn't sure how to approach the subject. It's not like Booth did anything horrific…or what could have been a lot worse. And Hailey had nodded and said she was okay. _If only I could believe her_, Jay thought. He glanced at her again, and she was absentmindedly twirling a strand of blonde hair around her finger.

She caught him looking at her, and immediately dropped her hand from her hair, but they went to the hem of her plaid shirt instead. She still didn't meet his eyes all the way, instead glancing around his face. She bit her lip, like she was thinking of saying something, but she was unsure. Just the same as he was.

He finally opened his mouth to say something, but Hermann's timing of setting his drink down ruined it. "Halstead, here's your scotch."

"Thanks," Jay replied. He saw Hermann flash his eyes to Hailey, waiting for her to order something.

"I'll take a vodka, please. Straight, no fuss."

"Alrighty," Hermann said, nodding and moving on down the bar.

Jay caught her eye finally, and he moved to grab her hand away from her shirt, but she pulled away. Since when was she nervous around him? This must've shaken her up more than he thought.

"Hailey," he whispered, grateful that her blue eyes hadn't glazed over yet. _She was still there_.

"Yeah?" She said just as soft.

"I know you don't wanna talk about it–" he was cut off by her voice.

"That's a terrible way to start a sentence," she countered.

Jay felt his lip tick up just a smidge at that. "I just wanna make sure you're okay."

"Yeah…" she replied wistfully, sighing and searching his face. "I am…I just wasn't expecting that. I knew he was creepy, but I didn't think he'd dare put his hands on me. I mean what the hell was that? And he kept looking at you? Like what? He wanted to get some kind of rise out of you?"

Jay sighed. "I don't know. But I'm sorry I didn't have your back. If you wanna call it, I get it. I wouldn't blame you; hell, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't wanna talk to me ever again."

He watched as her brows knitted together, obviously confused by his admission. "Jay…what….why would you…." She stopped and reached for his hand. "What in the world makes you think this is on you?"

"Because," he sighed, letting her take his hand. "I just told you I wouldn't let anything happen, and there Booth was, making things happen."

"Hey," she said gently, her voice still soft like before. "_You_ didn't do anything wrong. You couldn't blow your cover, neither could I. If anyone should be apologizing to me, it's Garrett. He's the one that had the power to stop the situation, but he didn't."

"I heard my name?"

Hailey cringed, her face scrunching up at the sound of Garrett's voice behind her. _God dammit_.

Jay's face twisted into an angry snarl. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to see how you guys were," Garrett tried, but Jay cut him off.

"_We're_ okay. _You_, on the other hand, I don't know. Because I am this close to kicking your ass." Jay stood up from the barstool, getting in Garrett's face. The two men were evenly matched in height, but Hailey honestly didn't know who would win in a fist fight, as she had only seen Jay deck Daniel Jacobs; and she'd seen Garrett take down his fair share of low-lives.

"What is your problem?" Garrett spat.

"My problem? My problem is _you_," Jay emphasized, his hands raised. Hailey could see one was curling in a fist. _Shit, shit, shit_.

"Guys," she tried, but her voice was lost amongst the noise and music.

"You got something to say, Halstead?" Garrett asked, even know Hailey was sure he already knew the answer.

"You let him put his hands on her!" Jay stated, his voice rising a little.

"In case you haven't noticed, Hailey's a big girl, alright. She can handle herself."

"I know she can handle herself just fine," Jay said quickly. "But she shouldn't have been in that situation in the first place!"

"Look, we did the deal, no harm, no foul."

Hailey scoffed, not believing her ears. She knew Garrett could be arrogant at times, but to not even acknowledge that it might've been at least _uncomfortable_ for her was a new low. She saw Garrett glare in her direction, and she fought an eye roll.

"Hey!" Jay said, pulling Garrett back to face him.

"Don't touch me, man." Garrett seethed, pushing Jay.

"Garrett!" Hailey said, pulling his arm. He shoved her off, which only seemed to make Jay more upset.

"Stay out of it, Upton." Garrett ordered.

"Don't talk to her like that," Jay said, opening and closing his hand. He was _thisclose_ to taking a swing at Garrett.

"Don't you start," Garrett warned. "You've been up my ass since day 1."

"Because you've been a piss-poor excuse for a cop!" Jay announced.

Garrett took a swing at Jay, but he ducked it, before landing a mean right hook into Garrett's jaw.

Before Hailey could get either of them to stop, punches were being thrown, as were kicks and hits. Garrett got Jay in the side, but Jay held his ground and took Garrett down to the ground, bloodying his nose and lip.

"Guys! Enough!" Hailey yelled, and she tried to pull them apart, but she wasn't strong enough to handle both of them.

"Hey, hey, hey!" She recognized that voice. _Aaron? No, that wasn't it. Adam! _She thanked God for Ruzek's assistance in breaking up the two men. Adam held off Garrett, while Hailey tried to get a hold of Jay.

"_Jay_!" She yelled, finally getting him to look at her. She watched as his eyes went from angry to…not calm, but a simmered down version of his earlier rage.

He huffed, letting out his breath in short spurts, as he held his hand under his ribs. "I…I'm sorry. I'm sorry…" he sounded far away, like he was dazed, as Hailey helped him sit back down.

Adam was busy hauling Garrett off towards the back door of Molly's as he looked ready to go 10 more rounds. Hailey saw Kevin come to his friend's aide, which she was grateful for, as she didn't want to leave Jay right now.

"Hey…Jay? Jay, are you okay?" She asked, crouching down to where he held his side. "Lemme see…." She asked, locking eyes with him. He rolled his eyes, which she took for his reluctant permission. She carefully lifted up his shirt to see where Garrett managed to kick him.

It was right underneath his ribs, that much she could see, as the bruise had already begun to take shape. _Dammit_. She went to inspect the bruise, her hand barely touching his abdomen when he sucked in a breath.

"Sorry," she whispered, locking eyes with him again. "I don't think there's any broken ribs, just one hell of a bruise." She stood up, flagging down Hermann for some ice. A minute later, she pressed the ice pack onto Jay's ribcage, to which he hissed at the cold contact.

"Mmm," he gritted.

"Sorry, sorry," Hailey repeated. "Here, just hold it there for a second." She instructed, taking her hand from it to reach into her pocket. She knew she had some gauze and other supplies back at their apartment, but she didn't have anything on her now. _Crap_. She held up her hand, telling him she'd be right back.

She ran to Hermann and asked for a towel. He handed her one, and she graciously thanked him. That would just have to do for now.

"Here," she said to Jay. "Press it against the ice. You're gonna hold it there till we get home."

He opened his mouth, wanting to object, but Hailey gave him a look that shut him up right quick.

"Come on," she said. "Let's get outta here."

Jay gave her a small smile, attempting to hop off the stool. Hailey wrapped her right arm around his back, and steadied him with her left. "Okay, Okay."

"I'm good, I'm good," he insisted, hating that she was fussing over him.

"Yeah yeah. Come on, Jay. Humor me, would ya?" She asked, quirking her brow in his direction.

He nodded, and let her lead him to the truck. He didn't object to her driving home either, as he knew he'd be met with a whole bunch of Hailey-isms – as he'd come to collect in his mind over the last few days. She'd either roll her eyes, give him a sassy response, or tell him that he was full of it.

None of which he wanted to deal with as the pain in his ribs wasn't subsiding yet. So, he kept his mouth shut, only smirking to himself as she started up the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

* * *

"Jay?" Hailey called once more. It had been 30 minutes since she'd left him alone in the bathroom, where he insisted, despite his bruised ribs, that he could get a shower just fine. "Jay?" She slowly walked back towards the bathroom, debating on pressing her ear against the door, or if she should knock like a normal human would. While she was having her little internal debate, she didn't even notice the door opening until she came face to face with Jay, straight out of the shower, clad in a towel.

She thought she could take a step back, but her legs betrayed her by staying frozen in place. She uttered a sound, some semblance of a gasp and a stutter; maybe trying to say the word, "Oh" or "Um," she wasn't sure. Because all she could focus on was the water dripping from his hair, as her eyes followed the pathway it made down his shoulders and chest. His towel covered his lower body, but she could still see the beginning of the blueish-purple bruise that formed by the left-hand side of his ribcage.

When she finally got her eyes to travel back up to his face, his lips held the smirk she had become used to over these last few days. She didn't have to touch her cheeks to realize they were pink. _Damn him_.

"Hailey?" He asked, his voice was nice, but Hailey could tell he was holding his tongue. His brows arched up, and he created an invisible pathway with his hands.

"Right, sorry. I guess I'll uh, leave you to it." She said quickly, turning on her heels. She picked up the pace down the short and narrow hallway, where she made a mad dash to their kitchen area. She could sense Jay behind her (only because she could smell some kind of mint off his body), but he must've ducked into their bedroom halfway through her journey down the hall. _Duh, Hailey. To actually get dressed._

She shook her head, laughing at her own embarrassment. It actually felt good to laugh about it, as she normally would – if something like this were to happen, that is. It's not like she's around half naked men all day long. She didn't know how women firefighters did it. Cara once told her stories about the co-ed bathrooms…yeah, not exactly Hailey's cup of tea.

She sighed, deciding to remedy her screwy feelings with some junk food. She was digging through the fridge compartment for her chocolate ice cream when she sensed she wasn't alone in the kitchen anymore.

"Hi, Jay," she said, not even bothering to turn around.

"Hi, Hailey." He mocked back to her. She also didn't have to turn around to know he was probably wearing a shit-eating grin on his face right now. "I promise, I'm dressed." He added, and she knew he was fighting a laugh at her expense.

"Ha ha," she mused, pursing her lips as she finally found the ice cream. "Very funny, Jay." She pulled out both pints, deciding to have a bit from each one. She could feel his eyes on her, as if he was watching her every move.

After she had grabbed a bowl, spooned some of the ice cream in, and was getting ready to put chocolate sauce on it, she sighed and looked over at him. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing," Jay said, slightly frowning as he raised his hands in defense. A second later, he added, "I was just promised a famous Hailey Upton sundae, so I figured I'd collect on that now."

"Uh huh," she quipped. "And what makes you think the offer still stands?"

"Cause you're too nice of a person not to share," Jay victoriously answered, knowing he had her there.

Hailey rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but smile at him. "Yeah yeah, okay. Fine. Just grab a bowl and get scooping. You're gonna need a bunch of ice cream for this."

Jay jumped up and bolted for the cabinet, which made Hailey chuckle. She'd never seen someone so excited for ice cream in their life.

"Have you never had an ice cream sundae or something?" She asked him, only half serious.

"Hey, you don't get abs like these," he stated, lifting the hem of his t-shirt, "By having ice cream sundaes."

It was Hailey's turn to bite her tongue, as this was now the second time in a half hour she had seen Jay's torso. _He's such a guy,_ she thought to herself. _But, he probably had a point_, she countered, as she couldn't help but notice how fit he actually was.

She gulped, hoping it wasn't audible to his ears, as it sounded so loud in her own. She turned her face downward to her own bowl, which was missing whipped cream and other toppings, she realized.

She remembered she had stashed some candies and whatnot in a bottom cabinet, but she couldn't remember which one. She searched around for a minute, until she found the bag she was looking for. "Ah ha! Everything else you'll need for a Hailey Upton signature sundae."

Jay nodded, taking the bag from her and setting it down in between them on the counter. There were M&M's, sprinkles, peanut butter cups, caramels, truffles, and Oreo's. "What, no chocolate chips?" He asked, and Hailey smacked his arm.

"Kidding, I'm kidding!" He said, feigning hurt.

"Just pick out what you want and have at it, Halstead," she instructed. She grabbed for the M&M's at the same time he did, so when their hands brushed against each other's, they both immediately pulled back.

"You go," Hailey offered, her voice barely above a whisper. She grabbed the peanut butter cups instead. Jay accepted the M&M's, and grabbed the sprinkles afterwards, trading the colored milk chocolate circles to Hailey.

"Thanks."

"Mhmm."

He took some chocolate sauce and a little bit of whipped cream, before ducking behind her to open the fridge.

"What're you looking for?" She asked as she was finishing up her own creation.

"Cherries," he plainly stated.

"Oh, right." She replied sheepishly. _Oops_.

"Got 'em." He pulled the box out, and handed them off to her.

"Thanks." She placed one in the center of her sundae, and seemed satisfied with her finished product.

Jay followed suit, not believing the massive sundae that faced him down now. _She really eats this…and still looks like that?_ He wondered, taking a second to scan her figure. _Sure, okay_.

Hailey made her way over to the couch, flipping on the TV with her free hand.

"Anything good on?" Jay asked as he came over to join her.

"I dunno, let's see." She scanned the GUIDE for a minute, before settling on a hockey game.

"Blackhawks and Ducks," she informed him, as he got comfortable on the sofa next to her.

Jay nodded, digging into his sundae, as he wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

"No no!" Hailey said, grabbing his hand that held the spoon. "You're supposed to mix it up some! _That's_ what makes it a Hailey Upton original."

"You know, the more I learn about you, the more I realize I have no clue who you really are."

She peaked up at him, her blue eyes shining with something he couldn't quite pin down. "Good, my plan is working." She smiled at him, which was something if he was being honest, he never got tired of seeing. Mostly because he couldn't help but beam right back at her when she did.

* * *

Hailey threw the covers off of her side of the bed, deciding to go to the kitchen for some water.

She felt unbearably hot, even though she knew the reason they had the heat on was because it was cold out.

Maybe it's not so much the heat in the room, as the heat from the guy next to you, her mind taunted.

Well, Jay certainly didn't help things that's for sure. She felt her face heat up at the thought of him earlier this evening, in his ever so evident lack of clothing.

Cut it out, Hailey! She reminded herself. She needed to stay focused. She sighed, running a hand threw her messy waves. She finally pulled open the fridge and grabbed a water bottle. She was closing the door when she almost jumped out of her skin.

"What the—Jay!" She exclaimed, slapping a hand over her chest, as if her heart could actually tear through her skin from beating so fast.

"Sorry," he said casually. "Couldn't sleep," his brows arched up, and he caught her eyes, as if he was waiting for something.

Oh, he was asking me, not staying the fact for himself, Hailey realized. "Um, yeah," she answered awkwardly. "You?"

He shrugged, closing the fridge after grabbing a water too. They'd been ever so often sharing their food, like normal people living together would, but sometimes it still felt weird — because they weren't an actual couple.

"So, what's on your mind?" She asked him, noticing he was peeling the label off the water bottle.

"Hm?" He asked, looking up at her.

"You're fidgeting," she observed, pointing to his fingers chipping away at the paper.

"You noticed that, huh?" He inquired.

Hailey shook her head, tilting it ever so slightly to look at him. "So..."

"_So_..." Jay mocked. "I should be asking you why you were up at," he checked the time on the microwave. "4:25am."

"Just wondering what in the world Booth is up to. Like we've done one successful deal with him, and he's already acting like we're his favorite people in the world."

Jay scoffed, which made her ask what it was towards.

"I'm just pretty sure he could give two shits about me, Hails," he offered.

She didn't miss his nickname for her, but she'd address that later. Right now she was curious about his earlier statement. "So, you really this guy would just give it up if I what? Went out with him?"

Jay's lip and brow tipped up in the same direction. "Something like that, yeah; as much as it pains me to say it."

Hailey couldn't tell if he was joking or not. "What're you thinking?" She asked, as she could practically see the gears shift in his brain.

"Well, why can't we use that our advantage?"

"Jay, I'm not sleeping with Booth, no matter how much bad dope it gets off the streets!" She lightly yelled, hoping she made her point.

Jay had to bite his tongue, partly to keep from cracking a smile, but also because he was trying very hard not to picture Hailey in that way.

Neither effort was successful, as while his eyes traveled her body, he could feel the grin break out across his face. Oops.

She really was gorgeous. Jay wasn't blind, after all. But he'd known that since he first laid eyes on her a year ago at Chatham. Even still, here, in the dimly lit kitchen, wearing slim sweats and a pink tee shirt, her hair tied up into a messy knot, and her face scrubbed clean of makeup, she was radiant.

"What?" Her question drew him from his internal monologue.

"Hm?" He asked, embarrassed to be caught now. Nice one, Halstead.

"I asked you if that's what you meant, about Booth I mean."

"Oh, right. God no, but a little harmless sweet talk to throw him off wouldn't hurt matters," he tried to say it as nonchalantly as he could, as the mere thought of Booth getting that close to Hailey again — after tonight — made his blood boil.

"Mhmm, okay. Sure, Mr. I Know Everything. So, what? Do you have a script for me?"

It took Jay a second to realize she was teasing him, as her signature smile lit up her whole face.

"Very funny Upton," he played it off.

"I am, thank you." She quipped, which made Jay smile just like she was. "Okay, but seriously Jay, what're you getting at?"

"Hailey, I'm not getting at anything, I promise. I just meant that if Booth eyes you, then just play him, not too much, but just I don't know, be a distraction?" The last part came out as a question because he couldn't believe he was essentially telling his new partner to flirt with a disturbed individual, not to mention dope-smuggling criminal.

"Ha, whatever you say, Halstead. But, I can't exactly stun in paint splattered sweats and a tee shirt, now can I?" She moved her hand up and down her current ensemble to emphasis her point.

"Well, it's not like I brought a tux," Jay joked.

Hailey tapped her chin with her finger, humming a little bit. "Hm. Alright, well then I guess we're going shopping tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"Jay, the party is in two days…" Hailey reminded him.

"Who said that?"

"Did you not see Garrett's text?"

"Nope," he popped the 'p' for effect. "Guess he left me out of the loop on that one. How nice of him."

"Will you two ever get along?" Hailey asked generally.

"Nope," he repeated his same action from seconds earlier.

Hailey playfully shoved his shoulder. "Psh, okay then. Fair enough. Not like I can blame you. He was a jerk tonight."

Jay agreed with her admission, finishing his water before tossing the bottle in the recycle. Hailey followed suit, and the two didn't speak again until their legs bumped when they climbed into bed at the same time.


	7. Playing Pretend

**A/N****: And here's "part 2" aka: continuing into the morning that Hailey & Jay wake up. It's time for them to get some new clothes – as drug dealers don't exactly have "party ready" wear, you know? There's lots of cute moments in this one, so be prepared for all the feels, as people like to say lately, haha. Hope ya'll like this one & thanks so much for your patience in my time updating this story. Hopefully these *two* chapters make up for it! **

* * *

"Uh huh," Jay said into the receiver. Voight was on the other end, and Jay was filling him in on their developments aka: this major party opportunity.

"So you and Hailey go in there, stake your claim, then he'll know you guys mean business. He'll be willing to use you, or, if he's the type to party, then maybe he'll slip up and give us something else we can use against him. Won't know until we get intel from you two. You and Hailey still got your ears?"

"Yeah, Sarge. All charged up and ready to go."

"Good, very good. Alright, well I'll leave you to it. Sergeant Anderson and I are combing through your guys' deal from the previous night. I'll check back in later."

"Sounds good."

"Bye Jay. Be careful."

"Of course. Bye Sarge."

He hung up the phone just as Hailey stepped out of the bathroom. She was dressed in those pale blue pajamas he saw the first night they were there, but her hair was darker. He just noticed that was because it was damp from the shower. _Way to go, Jay_.

He fiddled with his phone, trying to look like he wasn't just looking at her .5 seconds ago. "Am I good to grab the mirror in there for a minute?"

"What? Gotta put on your face, Jay?" Hailey joked.

"Eh, not exactly. But I figure 4 day scruff's not gonna cut it for this type of party. Did you look up the Mason Room? It's like, a bar-lounge hybrid. Not like, Hollywood type shit, but just about as close as you can get in Chicago."

"Oh great," Hailey said sarcastically. She smirked when she saw Jay smile. "Okay, okay, well have at it then!" She said, shooing him away so she could get changed into actual day clothes.

He laughed as she literally pushed him forward towards the bathroom. "Alright, alright, I'm going, I'm going!" He caught the tail end of her eye roll and groan as she closed the door on him.

A few minutes later, Jay slowly pushed the door open a hair; calling out. "Hailey, you good?"

"Yeah, I'm good." She said, her voice echoing into the room as she was coming back into it. She held two mugs of coffee, one he hoped was for him.

"Ah, thank you." He said, graciously taking a mug from her hand.

"Sure," she said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. He decided to join her, and they sat for a minute before Hailey decided to break the silence.

"Okay, so I was thinking we could hit up Fashion Plaza Mall and,–"

She was cut off by Jay's curse. "Son of a bitch," he sighed, an annoyed tone taking over his voice.

She turned her head a millimeter to the right and saw that he had in fact, spilled coffee all down the front of his shirt. _Yikes_. She noticed the liquid starting to seep into the cotton blend of his pale green shirt.

"Here, gimme it. I'll toss it in the laundry before that sets," she said, nodding her head towards the coffee that he now wore.

"Okay," he said. He peeled off the soaked shirt and handed it to her. She thanked God that she had to leave the room to get to their washer/dryer unit, as she couldn't handle seeing Jay shirtless again. Well, she _could_, but she didn't wanna know what would happen if she was really left to her own devices with him. _Damn feelings_.

She quickly snatched the shirt away, but snuck a peek at him before she fully left the room. He had opened his top drawer and was rifling through his shirts, looking for another one. She pretended she didn't see the way the muscles in his arms tensed when he was moving about.

She turned away before she was caught, and did as she said she would. She dipped it in stain remover fluid first, before she tossed it in the washing machine. By the time she flipped it on and went back to the room to check on him, he was fully clothed again – this time in a navy blue tee.

"So, would you like another cup of coffee?" She dared to ask, biting her tongue to keep from grinning.

"Eh, I'm good. I'd really rather not ruin another shirt. Besides, I can grab something at Starbucks if I start to crash."

"Alright," she said, grabbing her jacket. "So, you ready to go then?"

"Yeah," he repled, grabbing his phone and wallet.

Here goes nothing, Hailey thought as they followed each other out to the truck. Hopefully they could just get in, get out, no questions and no awkwardness. Course, with her luck, there was no way. _I'd need a miracle_, she said, dialing her head back before she got into the car. She had looked up into the sky, as if that would have a sign. It didn't. _Of course_.

* * *

"Hi, welcome to Maxwell's. How can we help you today?" The young man stood in front of Jay, smiling away as he was surrounded by mannequins in suits.

"I need a suit for an event. Or, well, I guess it's a party," he instinctively looked for Hailey, who usually was beside him. _Right_, he remembered. _She had said she would be back in a little bit once she found a dress_. His eyes still followed a swoosh of blonde hair at the edge of the door, as it was barely 2 seconds ago they said they'd split up.

"Well, then why doesn't your girlfriend come over and help? A woman's touch can never hurt," the man said, obviously thinking Jay was in desperate need of fashion advice.

"Oh, no, I mean," He was stammering like an idiot now. _This was going so well_, he thought.

"Wife?" The man asked, assuming he'd just gotten the label wrong, as opposed to the status.

Jay's eyes were still locked onto Hailey, who was now right by the exit door. He just really wanted this guy to stop talking, so he'd so anything to make this as painless as possible, even if it meant dragging Hailey back here.

"Hailey!" He called to her, and she was startled, and he realized he hadn't used her real name in public yet. He watched her turn on her heels and come back to where he was standing.

"Hey, what's up?" She said casually.

"We're gonna need your help," the young man interjected.

"_We_?" Hailey asked, looking from him to Jay.

Jay just shrugged, giving her a look that hopefully said, _I don't know just help please_.

Hailey nodded, smirking at him. "Oh, okay. Sure. What do you need?"

"Well, I'll help him find some options, and you'll help him decide which one is best," the man said matter-of-factly, hilariously unaware that Jay and Hailey weren't actually a couple.

"Um, okay, sure." She said, plopping herself down in the nearest chair. _What the hell was I supposed to say? No?_ She thought to herself, running a hand over her eyes in frustration.

"Awesome. Okay…" the man paused, and Jay filled in the blank with his name. "…Jay. Let's get you into some tuxes, then…." He looked to Hailey, who did the same thing. "…Hailey, you'll give us a yay or nay." The young man gave a thumbs up and down to make the differential.

"Okay," they answered simultaneously, catching one another's eyes again.

The guy quickly whisked Jay off towards the racks of suit jackets, pants, and ties. "We'll get you suited up just right for that party," he reassured Jay. Yeah, that wasn't the part Jay was nervous about. _So much for this being a solo shopping trip_.

It wasn't that he minded Hailey's company, in fact it was the opposite that had his nerves twisted up. He _wanted_ it, almost as much as he wanted _her_. He didn't know if it was solely in the physical way, but the rapid beats of his heart every time she stood too close to him said that it was more than that. Because he was acting like an idiot today, and she was the reason why.

_Focus Jay_, he told himself. That wasn't a hard ask as seconds later, his hands were filled with ties, jackets, shirts, and pants, all in varying colors and styles.

"….And this one," the salesman handed him one more tie, before shuffling him off into a dressing room.

_At least in here, I'm alone_. Jay sighed, taking inventory. One gray three-piece suit, One navy two piece suit, One all-black tuxedo, and one classic.

The blue one caught his eye first, only because it was oddly the exact same color as his tee shirt. He slipped into it first, taking a breath before he stepped outside.

Hailey was scrolling through her phone when she heard the dressing room door open. Out came Jay, albeit begrudgingly, but there he was, in the first of what Hailey assumed were many suits. It was navy, which was kind of fun considering he picked out a navy shirt today after the coffee mishap.

She looked up at him, allowing her eyes to travel down the length of his frame, using the clothes as an excuse if need be. Her brows raised instinctually, and she nodded. "That looks good!" She could've sworn she saw his cheeks tinge pink, but maybe it was just the ungodly fluorescent lights that shone above them.

"What're the other choices?" She asked innocently. "Not that that one's not great," she backtracked, feeling dumb now. _This is off to a great start_.

"We have an all-black, a gray, and a classic black and white," the salesperson filled them in. Their heads turned to where the young man stood behind the counter, and he waved at them. They waved back, before turning back to one another.

"Okay, what about the all-black next?" Hailey suggested.

"Why, so I can look like James Bond?" Jay bantered.

"Yeah, you're a real 007, Jay," Hailey sassed back. "Humor me, would ya?"

"Okay, okay," he caved, putting his hands up and pulsing them up and down a couple times, like he was telling her _okay calm down now_.

She twisted her lips up as she watched him turn and go back into the dressing room. When he came back out a few minutes later, she was shocked. Not in a bad way, but in a way where he really did look like he was playing a part. Which she supposed was the point, but she still wanted to know how he was feeling in it. No sense focusing on UC work if you're stuck in a stiff suit.

"So?" Jay asked, and Hailey could hear the uncertainty in his voice. "Any thoughts?"

"I mean, it looks great on you, but it almost feels a little…."

"Not me?" Jay finished her thought with the question.

"Exactly!" Hailey said, not surprised he could tell what she was thinking.

"Alright, so strike two," Jay said, taking stock. "Should I try the gray one? Or should we just pick the original penguin suit and get the hell out of here?" He was practically begging with that last bit.

"Fine fine, you've been tortured enough," Hailey surmised, cracking up at his puppy dog expression. "But, you're at least trying the damn thing on before we leave. Because I'm not coming back here again, Jay Halstead!" She held up her pointer finger, as if she was really warning him.

"Yes dear," he mocked, chuckling as she shoved him back into the dressing room.

With the final suit on, he stepped out and patiently awaited Hailey's reaction.

She was staring, and she felt her mouth drop open a bit, but she didn't have the energy to pull it together. Damn, he wore a suit well. Something about it was just…_wow_. She played off her very real reaction with a very platonic comment.

"You don't look half bad, Halstead."

Jay frowned, and Hailey realized something that made her both happy and sad at the same time. He actually cared what she thought. About how he looked. For this stupid goddamn party. And the worst part of it all? She _liked_ that he cared. She _liked_ seeing him like this – so normal it was silly. And she felt silly even thinking like this, but she couldn't help it. Jay was an enigma, and she wasn't sure she felt ready to figure him out yet.

She stood up from the chair and walked the couple steps towards him. "Hey," she said softly, and he peered down at her. Hailey thought she could just stand there forever, looking into his eyes. But this wasn't a fantasy, this was reality. And in the real world, ironically, none of this _was_ real.

"It looks really," she paused, knowing something even better to say. "I mean, you look really handsome, Jay." She gave him a genuine smile, and hoped that he knew of her sincerity. From the smile she got in return, she thought he got the message.

She found her hands going to fix his tie, straightening it up a tiny bit. She awkwardly patted the lapels of his suit jacket, before quickly removing herself from him completely. _Too much, Hailey_.

"Thanks, Hailey." He whispered, and she realized she still hadn't put that much distance in between them. She could still smell mint on him.

"Yeah," she breathed, looking up at him. He was the one to break their moment, as he said he should probably get changed so they could get on with the rest of their shopping needs. She had nodded, going to sit back down. She ran her hands through her hair, not knowing whether or not to smack herself upside the head, or to let herself grin like an idiot. Either way, she was screwed.

* * *

"Hi!" The sales girl at Women's Warehouse was all too chirpy for Hailey's taste. "Welcome to WW! What can we get you?"

Hailey was overwhelmed by the amount of choices in this store. Dresses galore hung along the walls, in every color imaginable. And the styles? What the heck was the difference between embellished and sequined? She didn't know. Never had, as shopping was way low on her priority list growing up. She avoided it like the plague if she could – and she had managed to do pretty well with her old navy blue and black floral dress from the academy days. But, of course, she didn't bring it with her to their UC apartment, because well, she didn't think they'd be doing anything fancy, let alone something that would require her to wear such a nice dress.

"Um," She stuttered, hating this more and more as time passed.

"She needs a dress for this New Year's Eve shindig we're going to. I don't know anything about this stuff," Jay stepped in, gesturing to the rows of dresses. "But she looks great in anything. Blue's pretty on her, but I'd be in trouble if I didn't say she kills it in red."

He said it so _normally_ Hailey almost fell over. _Like, what now?_

"Ah, see now why can't my boyfriend be as observant as yours?" The sales clerk chuckled, giving Jay a thumbs up. "You better keep him, girl!" She tossed Hailey a knowing glance, and she had to sit down, or else she really was going to collapse, right there in the middle of a fucking Women's Warehouse. _This is what it's come to. Good lord, I am so in trouble._

The lady came back a few moments later with a selection of dresses that Hailey admitted, she'd never have found on her own. Course, she also didn't know if she could pull them off. But, hell, if Jay could survive shopping, so could she. She had the girl hand her the dresses, taking them into the dressing room. In her peripherals, she saw Jay claim the seat she was just in, which faced the room she was in now.

She laid out her options, sizing them up. There was a pastel blue dress, that had a matching lace overlay with spaghetti straps. Then there was the red bandage style dress. The sales girl had thrown in a _sequined_ short-sleeve dress, Hailey noted, laughing as she looked at the tag. And last, but certainly not least was a basic black one, or, at least Hailey thought was one. Little did she know.

She slipped into the lace one first, thanking god it at least came down to her knees, and had a camisole style top to it. She smoothed down her hair, and pulled back the curtain. "Well?" She asked, announcing her presence to Jay, who had been idling his phone.

"That looks really nice, Hailey," he said sweetly.

"I sense a but," she interrupted. Not that she cared, but she was actually right.

"–But, it's not exactly New Year's Eve material."

"Oh good lord, now you're the fashion expert. Okay Mr. 007. Hold on then, she put a sparkly one in here. Just gimme a sec!" She yelled to him as she closed the curtain again.

She shimmied out of the blue one and into the glittery frock. She wiggled around, feeling like she was in an itchy sweater. _Damn, my skin must not be a fan_, she figured, as she scratched her arms and legs where the dress hem came to. _Damn_, she sighed. _Well, nevermind_.

"Okay, nevermind. We're skipping it!" She called out to him, not that she needed his permission. "I've got two more in here though."

"Alright," she heard him say back, as she zipped up the red bandage number.

"Oh boy," she said, as it was definitely form-fitting. Not that she didn't have a perfectly fine body, but Hailey was much more comfortable in a jeans and tee shirt, not a tight dress.

She slowly stepped out, her eyes still locked onto the floor. She was about to take Jay's silence as confirmation that she looked ridiculous, but she heard him cough.

"Wow."

She figured her face was about as red as the dress now, as she watched him run a hand over his mouth and then lean back, only to do the same thing to the back of his neck.

"Good wow or bad wow?" She hesitantly asked.

"No, I mean, good wow. Definitely a good thing," Jay replied, the eagerness of his tone made Hailey smile.

"And the last one?" He swallowed, the sound echoing in his ears.

"It's just a basic black dress." She said, as if she was telling him her coffee order or something. "Nothing special."

"Humor me," he mimicked her phrase from earlier.

"Ugh, fine." She groaned, going back into the dressing room. A few minutes later, she stepped out for the third and final time.

Now it was Jay's jaw that dropped, because that dress was anything but _basic_. While yes, it was plain in the sense it was an onyx shade, that was the only simple thing about the piece. The hemline definitely classified it as a mini dress, and when she turned to the side a little, Jay could see that it was tied off in the back, which left her back exposed. He wasn't ready for his mind to think about what that meant.

But, all those thoughts vanished from his mind when he saw Hailey look down, smoothing out the edges with her fingers, and she was actually smiling. "I actually really like this one," she said to no one in particular, but Jay's ears perked up just the same.

"It's not, like too much, is it?" She asked meekly, her head dropping back down to the floor to avoid his gaze. _Too much? Hell no. Too hot? Hell yes. _Course, Jay wouldn't be admitting _that_ anytime soon.

His lips curved up into their own little smile, and he got up from his seat like she had done to him. He captured her eyes from the moment he got up, and he swore she was the most enchanting person he'd ever known.

"You look incredible Hailey. Seriously, amazing." He had the sudden urge to push her hair back from her face, and before he could stop himself, he acted on it. He could've sworn he heard her breath catch.

"Thanks, for all of this," She whispered. She didn't dare catch his glance again, for fear she'd just wanna stand there again until the end of time. _God damn him_.

Jay fought with his feet to move, but he was losing terribly. It was only when Hailey turned around that he felt the heat go with her. _What a day_, he thought as he sat back down. _And they hadn't even made it to the fucking party yet_.


	8. This Feels Right

**A/N****: More feels in this chapter, as Hailey & Jay grow closer as they prepare to go to Booth's party. Then, when they _actually_ arrive? Oh, everything happens. I was originally going to post it all in one chapter, but it was 7,000+ words, so I split it up once again – figured ya'll wouldn't mind...though this one is the longer of the two. But it's 99.9% feels, so there's that. Hope you guys enjoy! Thanks for over 100 comments on this story...so glad you guys like it so much! :) **

* * *

Jay woke up to the smell of coffee brewing. He slowly opened his eyes, stretching out his legs when he remembered that he had fallen asleep on the couch. He looked around briefly, before his eyes landed on his fake girlfriend pouring the coffee into mugs for them. He'd be lying if he said he didn't mind the current situation. It would be a week today living with Hailey, and he was honestly getting all too used to having her around.

"Hey Halstead," Hailey said, as she came around the counter to the sofa. She was carrying a mug in each hand, but that's not what Jay was focused on. No, he couldn't help but notice how by contrast, her eyes were a vivid blue against the pastel of her pajamas. Even with her messy waves and slight rasp of her morning voice, he'd miss seeing her as one of the first things he woke up to.

"Hey," he said, thanking her for the coffee. "How'd you sleep?"

"Probably better than you," she countered, nodding to the couch she just now sat down on.

"Well you could've woken me up," he tried, taking a sip from his mug.

"I did!" She exclaimed, her voice bright with the beginnings of a laugh. "You were out like a light."

"Huh," he thought. "First time that's happened in ages."

"Well, did you at least sleep well?" She asked, peering at him from the rim of her coffee cup.

"Mhmm," he nodded. He was thankful the coffee burned his throat slightly as it went down, if only so he wouldn't focus on how their legs were touching as they shifted on the couch.

Hailey ran her free hand through her hair. "So, are you sure we should go tonight?"

"Oh no, I did not spend two hours in that mall for nothing," he joked.

She looked at him, her tone of voice more serious when she said his name. "Jay..."

His expression softened, as he could tell she was a little bothered by it. "Hey, we don't have to if you're really not comfortable. But just know, I've got your back okay? We're gonna go in, roam around, maybe talk to some potential players. There's gotta be someone there with more power than Booth. If not, then maybe we can get Booth to flip. Who knows, but we won't know anything if we don't at least make an appearance."

Hailey sighed, but she knew he was right. Uncomfortable or not, she had a job to do. And, she trusted Jay. More than she'd trusted anyone actually. And that was saying something, given the fact that she'd only known the guy for a week. And yet, she felt like she'd known him forever. They just clicked, and no matter how hard she tried to think otherwise, she knew it was more than just your regular partner-to-partner connection. She liked him, yeah, but as what? Her boyfriend? No, her _fake_ boyfriend. Which meant that after this op was done, he'd be gone from her life. And she wished she could be okay with that; but the truth was: she was far from it. Which scared her more than anything.

She felt her cheeks heat up, as she realized she hadn't said anything for a minute, and was just staring at him. _Use your words, Hailey!_ "Yeah, no, I know. You're right. You've got me covered, I've got you. We've got this. And besides, it's a party, right? We deserve to have a little fun too." She just hoped she could actually feel that way once they got there.

They sat for a few moments, finishing their coffee. Jay had just flipped on the TV when Hailey's phone rang.

"Upton," she answered routinely.

"Hailey," She cringed hearing his voice. He had terrible timing.

"What?" She asked Garrett, not even bothering to hide the exasperation.

"Don't hang up!" He begged. _Well, this is starting out swimmingly_.

"What is it, Garrett?" She asked him again.

"I just wanted to apologize...for last night, I mean."

She couldn't help but laugh, thankfully it came out more like a dismissal. "_I'm _not the one you should be apologizing to."

She glanced over at Jay, who was already looking at her when she met his eyes. She so did not want to be stuck in the middle of this again. "It's Garrett," she mouthed to him, making him grin with her signature eye roll.

"Look, Garrett, just talk to Jay, alright," she said, exasperated. "I don't wanna be in the middle of this anymore."

"In the middle of what? He took a swing at me for no reason!"

"Garrett, you came at him first," Hailey said defensively. She didn't know why she was sounding like that when it _was_ the truth. Garrett had tried to hit Jay first, he just happened to miss.

"So, what? You're taking his side now? C'mon Hailey, you know me. You've known him for what? Five minutes?"

"Garrett, knock it off," Hailey said. She pinched her nose bridge again, feeling a headache coming on. "Look, if you're not gonna apologize to him, that's on you. But don't get mad at me when you're the one who escalated it."

"You can't be serious. When did you get so..." he paused, and Hailey took her chance to interject.

"So, what? Conscious? Rational? What?"

"God, you know what? Just forget it, alright? I called trying to make peace with you,"

"No, you called because you wanted to make yourself feel better. God, you know, Jay was right. You've been a jerk to us this whole time. I don't know what the hell is up with you lately. Maybe if you figure it out, then we'll talk."

"Wait, Hail-"

She hung up before he could finish saying her name. She'd heard enough from Garrett Reynolds today.

She tossed her phone in frustration, not really caring where it landed.

"That sounded like it went super well for you," Jay said, and Hailey shoved his arm as she heard the playfulness in his voice.

"Oh yeah, we're best friends now," she tried joking back.

"I'm sorry if I caused you to get in the middle of it," he said softly, like he was embarrassed or something.

"Hey, no _you _don't have anything to be sorry for. Like I was telling Garrett, I wasn't the one he needed to apologize to; nor are you the one that should be apologizing to me. He owes us both an apology now."

"I'm glad we're in agreement on that," Jay smirked, reaching out for her coffee cup so he could put them in the sink to rinse them out.

"Yep," Hailey said, a slight smile gracing her lips. It quickly went away though as she watched Jay get up. His shirt rose up just enough for her to catch a glimpse of the gnarly bruise that still covered his rib cage. She quickly turned away, feeling like she'd seen something too personal, too private, even though she was the one icing it last night. She felt her cheeks heat up as she recalled the last two times she saw his abs. _Hailey, knock it off._ She rolled her eyes at herself, not believing she was losing it over this guy. _But, look at him, how could you not fall for him? Plus, he so sweet, and funny. Just an all-around nice guy._ Hailey hadn't met too many of those in her line of work recently. Sure, Garrett _could_ be nice, but that wasn't his default setting. Arrogance with a side of being a complete ass-hat was more his specialty.

"You alright over there, Upton?" Jay asked, sitting back down. She realized she was grinning like an idiot to herself for no good reason. Oh well.

"Yeah, I'm good." She said, giving him a genuine smile. And for the first time in a long time, she actually believed it.

* * *

Jay had been looking for his phone for the last 5 minutes, with no avail in finding it. He thought he'd left it on the kitchen counter, but when it wasn't there, his next stop was to look between the couch cushions in case it'd somehow gotten there.

"Hey Hailey, have you seen my phone?" He called to her from the start of the hallway.

No answer. He was 99% sure she was back in their room, since they'd each taken their turn in the shower earlier.

He was all dressed and ready to go, except for his damn phone. He assumed she was too... maybe just...putting on earrings? Did Hailey even have pierced ears? He didn't know; he didn't know a lot about how women got ready for things like this.

He and Erin hadn't gotten the chance to do the whole fancy thing. And even when they did, they just changed at the district for their undercover ops. Not that it wasn't fun seeing her strip down, but it was almost too normal for them to see each other in various stages of undress.

Maybe that was part of their problem, he considered as he made his way down the hall. They'd gone for the physical and then their pasts caught up to them. They didn't slow down, instead they'd slammed on the brakes.

He was so caught up in comparing the two women in his life that he didn't register if Hailey had answered when he knocked on the door.

He figured since the door wasn't completely closed that opening halfway wouldn't hurt. Boy how wrong he was.

Because as he had opened the door, there was Hailey, not dressed in her black dress but in a robe and what he assumed to be red lace lingerie — course he'd only seen a strap of her bra as her robe had fallen down her shoulders.

"_Jay?!"_

He assumed she was finishing getting ready, as his eyes had quickly averted themselves to the edge of their bed, where her dress was; as she refastened the tie of her robe.

"Sorry sorry sorry," he kept repeating it like a moron. He finally shut up when he at least knew he wasn't the only one embarrassed — or excited — by what just happened.

He saw Hailey's face flush about as red as her aforementioned ensemble. He, on the other hand, wasn't so much worried about his facial expression as his physical reaction.

He caught a quick glimpse of her on his way out of the room, and he saw she had opened her mouth to say something else, but he decided to save himself from fresh embarrassment. He quickly took to the couch, running his hands through his hair and tried to think about anything else than how breathtaking she looked.

He leaned his head back on the sofa, taking a few deep breaths. When he opened his eyes again, Hailey was standing in front of him, thankfully fully dressed.

Too bad that didn't help, as he couldn't help but take in her appearance once again. The black dress really was elegant on her, and she wore some matching heels. And because she was Hailey, she had her leather jacket in hand, ready to throw it on.

"Hey," She said as normal as possible. "You ready to go?"

Jay rubbed his eyes, stretching out and leaning his elbows onto his knees. "Yeah, just lemme grab my jacket and wallet and then I'm good."

"Okay."

She couldn't help but watch him get up and walk away. Hailey hated herself for thinking it, but she was still buzzing about the encounter they had a few minutes ago.

It took all of her energy to focus on just Jay's face when she saw him standing the doorway. He had worn the suit, and even went with a black tie— which, much to Hailey's disappointment, was straightened out.

She didn't even realize the door was cracked open when she got out of the shower. She had heard Jay mumbling something to himself, before the opening and closing of drawers began in their kitchen.

She shook her head, figuring he was getting something to eat. She had already blown out her hair, and was walking back to her room when she heard him drop a couch cushion on the ground.

She hadn't meant to pack her red bra and underwear, but she was glad she did, because at that moment in time, that was the only set that would cover her, while still being slightly skimpy enough to be concealed under the short dress.

She wasn't one to admit when she was feeling super-femme, but when she slipped into the lingerie, she felt a new wave of confidence come over her. She had tied up her robe and gotten her dress out, but then remembered she wanted to wear a little bit of makeup.

She picked out a red lipstick, and made sure to carefully apply some eyeliner and mascara to her eyes. She powdered her face a bit, and had just put on her shoes when she heard the door creak. She figured it was just an echo from the hall, as she swore she heard his footfalls.

But, as her type of luck would have it, just as she decided to untie her robe and begin to slip it off to trade it for her LBD, that's when she found herself face to face with Jay.

And well— she skipped over everything else, as she could feel her face reheat at the thought of it. _So much for keeping your cool Hailey_, she told herself.

She was pulled out of her ridiculous feelings by his soothing voice, and before she knew it, his hand found her shoulder.

"Ready?" He asked. His fingertips felt like ice on her skin.

"Yeah," she answered, letting out a breath. She really needed to pull it together if they were gonna make it through tonight.

He led the way out, and Hailey followed, noticing how pretty Chicago was when it had little flurries of snow start to fall.

"Hey, what were you looking for earlier?" She asked as she strapped in.

"Hm?" He replied, following suit.

"I heard you rummaging around in the kitchen," she tried to jog his memory.

"Oh, shit," he cursed, looking from her back to his lap. "My phone!"

"You mean this phone?" Hailey said, beaming at his genuinely surprised expression.

"Where the heck was it?!"

"Bathroom counter. You must've left it in there when you finished your shower or something. I grabbed it for you on my way out. I was gonna give it to you once I had finished getting ready..." she trailed off, realizing how that whole thing didn't go as planned.

"...and then I barged in on you like an idiot. Which again, let me reiterate, I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about, Jay."

She was shocked the words tumbled out of her mouth, but even in the dark, she saw something spark in his eyes, which made her glad she was bold.

"So, now that we both have our phones, we're finally ready to do this," she said, lightening the intense mood she steered the conversation into.

"Yeah," he said, and she noticed his voice was a couple octaves lower than normal. _Wow, is everything he does this attractive? Or am I just really losing my mind here_? She wondered.

She sat back in her seat, careful to sit more ladylike given her dress' short length. She heard the familiar hum of the truck, and she felt a strange sense of calm as Jay pulled off into the night.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

Hailey was instantly taking her earlier thought back as the first thing she was greeted with at the door of the Mason Room was Ronald Booth's ugly mug. She plastered on a grimace, and didn't object to Jay sticking to her like glue as they made their way inside.

"Ryan," he easily greeted Jay, who gave him a nonchalant nod. "Kelly," he said slower, and his eyes matched the pace of his voice, sizing Hailey up much to her disgust.

She bit her tongue, still trying to show some semblance of politeness. She didn't want him pissed off at her when she needed to get information from him. But, that could wait a while. Because right now the only thing she needed to get was a drink.

"Um, nice party," she commented, hoping she sounded at least grateful for the invite. "Now, my boyfriend and I would love to know where the best drinks in the house are served. Would you mind showing us?" She asked sweetly.

She looped her arm around Jay's, noticing how there wasn't any hesitation in him anymore. None from her side either, and she didn't know whether or not that should scare or excite her. She honestly didn't really want to think about that right now, as she had to focus on getting through the rest of this night.

"Right this way," Booth said, leading them towards the bar. Of course, as Hailey's unfortunate streak would have it, Garrett was there nursing a beer. _Awesome_.

"Hey, if it isn't our two favorite people!" He greeted, his voice obviously showing the signs of drinking too much too early. _Even better_, Hailey thought sarcastically. She swore, if Garrett messed this up for her or Jay, she'd deck him herself.

"Hi Garrett, good to see you again," Jay said, giving him a tight-lipped smile. Hailey's lips mimicked his before long, and Garrett carelessly turned back to his alcohol.

"Whatever you'd like to order," Booth said, shocking Hailey by leaving them be. _Of course the one time I actually need to him to be all over me, he's not_. _Go figure_.

She sighed, nodding to Jay to order a drink first. "Um, I'll take whatever's on tap." He looked to Hailey, who ordered a vodka soda. They got their drinks a minute or two later, hopeful that the spirits could maybe lift theirs up a little.

While they drank, they each did their own version of surveillance. Hailey scanned the party goers, trying to find where Booth had wandered off to. Jay was people watching, studying their movements to see if any of them stood out.

They'd occasionally shift next to each other, and they found themselves brushing each other's arms or shoulders when they'd try to get the other's attention. The tiniest of touches used to be normal for the two detectives, but tonight, everything seemed to have a new energy, a different feel.

And neither minded one bit.

"Do you think Booth went off to get more booze or score some more product?" Hailey wondered, her eyes flicking up to Jay for a second.

"I don't–" he was cut off by Garrett so rudely interrupting.

"Guys! Booth's probably in the back, that's where he keeps his scores or "investments" as he likes to call them!" His drunk and disorderly voice was bouncing off the walls, and the two other detectives really wished he'd clam up right now.

"Alright, hey, thanks man," Jay said, giving Garrett a pat on the shoulder, which got him to sit back down in his seat.

"Yeah, thanks," Hailey said, before she whispered to Jay that she'd be back in a minute. She was going to go scour the back way for any sign of Booth. She prayed Garrett was actually correct, and not just making shit up.

She rolled her eyes as she tripped over her shoes for the second time tonight. "This," she groaned, leaning down to straighten her crooked heel. "Is why I hate heels." She muttered, glad everyone else was too inebriated to hear her talk to herself.

Once she was all fixed up, she continued her way through the crowds of people. She checked her phone, noticing it had somehow been almost 45 minutes since they'd arrived. Wow, scanning the place must've taken longer than they thought. She really hoped Ron was back here so she could relay that info to Jay via text.

She was reaching into her pocket to grab said cell phone when she collided with someone. "Oh shit," she muttered, looking up to see who it was. "Sorry about that."

"That's alright, Kelly." She was met with Booth's face looking at hers, which she hated. Why'd she always have to be _close_ to him? _Course, Hailey, you're about to get a lot closer in a few minutes_, she reminded herself.

"What'd you think of the party?" He asked casually.

She tried to ignore the fact that they were still standing too close for her initial comfort, but she soldiered on. "It's really great."

"You don't sound that enthused."

"No, it's just–" she paused, pulling out her phone to shoot Jay a coded text.

"What?" He asked over the music, which had somehow gotten louder back here.

"A little noisy!" She yelled over the blaring sounds, proving her point.

"Ah," he nodded, understanding her now. "Well, we can always go somewhere quiet if you'd like."

She honestly hadn't expected that shitty trick to work, but here she was. And she felt like she was gonna be sick. She really needed more than just one drink. _Okay, so get a drink, say you'll be back, and then get on with it._

"Sure," she said, turning back towards the bar area. "But first, let me buy you a drink." She offered, thinking that maybe he wouldn't be as suspicious if she could keep her act up.

"Alright," he said cautiously, but he seemed accepting of her offer as he followed her back to the bar.

She nodded to Jay as she came back with Booth in tow, hopefully communicating that this was a new part of their plan, and he nodded back at her, indicating he understood.

"What'll it be?" She asked Booth, who glanced from her back to the bartender.

"An IPA," he told her, and Hailey flagged down the bartender.

"So, Ryan, you enjoying tonight's festivities?" Ron asked, trying to make small talk.

"Mhmm," Jay mumbled, finishing off his beer. "Wow, can't believe it's already 11:45. Time is flying by," he commented, checking his phone.

"Here you go," Hailey was back with Booth's drink.

"Thank you," he said. "So, cheers," he said, leaning over Hailey and towards Jay, who clinked his empty beer bottle against Booth's full glass.

"Another round, man?" Garrett asked, and Jay kept his eyes looking straight ahead as to not roll them back over the absurdity that they'd somehow managed to make it back to where he was too.

"Sure."

Once he had another beer in his hand, he got Hailey another soda, which she thanked him for.

"So," Ron began. "How'd you two get together again?"

"Out at CCU. He was dealing out of his dorm room, I hadn't met anyone like him really. And then we sort of hooked up in more ways than one." She said, fumbling her words a little bit.

"Some story that was," Ron chuckled dryly. "That how you remember it, Ryan?" He was looking at Jay only now, which made Hailey nervous. _Was he trying to do something? Or get Jay riled again? _She didn't know, and she was anxious about it. She instinctively reached for Jay's hand, which he took with ease.

"Actually, we met at a bar. Well, we didn't meet just yet. But that's where I first saw her. I was talking to another girl at the time, but she wasn't as interesting as this one here," he said, nodding down to Hailey. "She was wearing this bright red top that made her stand out, sure, but I first noticed her smile, all the way from across the room. She just seemed to draw people to her, which made me want to be one of those people. Took a lot of effort to get close to her, but somehow I managed to snag her."

As he slipped his hand out of hers, and instead wrapped his arm around her shoulders, Hailey was still trying to get her mouth to work. She kept moving it slightly, thinking she was ready to say words, but instead all that happened was it would shift a millimeter here and there. She couldn't even believe he remembered all of that. About _that_ night. The actual night they met.

_Well he's just full of surprises_, she thought as she decided to play off his very true story.

"Yeah well, this one here was playing hard to get the whole night. I remember I saw him, and I was trying to order a cocktail from the bartender, but Ryan kept hogging the dude's time with beer orders!" She joked, placing her hand against Jay's chest, as if it was meant to go there after sharing a laugh. It was, in this fictional world they had created; but Hailey couldn't help but think it was meant to be there regardless.

"Wait, _that's_ the thing you remember about me?" Jay asked, genuinely curious.

"Psh, that's not the only thing," Hailey countered. "I remember how you seemed to know your way around the place, whereas I'd never been there before. And you seemed to get along with everyone around you…you had this easygoing nature about you, which made me want to get to know that 'mystery beer drinker' down the way." She offered, hoping that would be enough to both sell it and make Jay believe her.

She watched his lip tick up, almost into one of his signature smirks, and he let out a breath through his nose, like he had tried to laugh but it didn't come out exactly how he wanted.

"Huh, so you guys really pay attention then. Interesting." Booth acknowledged.

"Yep." They said at the same time, sharing a look.

"Told ya they were good guys," Garrett slurred in the background, seemingly proud of his recommendation.

"Mhmm" Booth muttered as he gulped down the rest of his drink.

The two of them obviously had Jay and Hailey beat in the plastered department, but they could work with that.

Jay blinked a few times, noticing how it got slightly louder as the music actually turned itself down. He realized it was because the countdown was starting. "10…9….8….7….6….5" They joined in for the rest of the numbers. "4….3…..2….1!"

Happy New Year was said amongst all the guests at the Mason Room, 99.9% of the couples kissing as the clock stroke midnight. That .1% that didn't? Well, to be fair, Jay had brushed his lips against Hailey's cheek, which made her a shiver run down her spine.

Oh now that's not a way to start the New Year!" Booth commented, as he apparently watched the exchange.

"Sorry?" Jay asked, and Hailey saw him try to wipe the disdained look off his face.

"You've still got 30 seconds to kiss your girl, man, before someone else does…." Booth said, and from the glint in his eye, Hailey didn't like his implication.

Course, before she could even answer his ridiculousness with a comment, Jay's lips were on hers, kissing her with what felt like everything he had.

Her lips were hesitant at first, not even processing what the hell was occurring, but she couldn't help but melt into him a moment later. She kissed him back with just as much force, and felt her brows raise when his tongue traced the bottom of her mouth.

She granted him access, and the two were tangled up in an instant. Jay ultimately won the battle for dominance in what turned out to be the longest kiss of Hailey's life. She had only broken the spell she was under thanks to Garrett's terrible timing of a cough.

She pulled back from Jay only a fraction of a centimeter, breathless from his lips. She couldn't even believe that just happened. And even more so? She couldn't believe how normal it felt. Yes, her face felt like it was on fire, and yes her whole body was tingling, but what else happened? She felt giddy, and her heart felt light in her chest, like she was floating. And she knew why, and he was staring back at her just about as shocked as she felt.

They still stared at each other for a beat too long for normal couples who would kiss on the countdown, as everyone else had already gone about their business like nothing happened. Well, everyone except for Booth, whose gaze was burning a hole in Hailey's back. She turned around to see if she was just being paranoid, but she wasn't as he not-so-subtly looked at her way longer than he looked at Jay. She felt like he was looking through her, and that scared her a little if she was being honest.

She leaned into Jay, ready to whisper something to him when Ron's voice overshadowed her effort. "So, Kelly, about earlier..." he looked at her expectantly.

"Right," she said, ignoring the pit in her stomach when she remembered what she still had to do. "Sure," she said, catching Jay's eye for a moment. He grabbed her hand unexpectedly, giving it a gentle squeeze. Her lip curved into a small smile, before they parted ways.


	9. What Went Wrong

**A/N****: And here's part 2. Possible TW, as it does contain mentions of assault, though if you watched the actual "Ghosts" episode, then you know Booth did not actually assault Hailey in _that_ way...though he did a number on her regardless. Anyway, so obviously you guys know what happened in Hailey's re-telling of the story to Jay in the episode...just replace Garrett with Jay, and you've got my version of the events that took place on that unfortunate NYE. Dive in, folks. PS: I guess the title is a nod to "Chicago Fire"'s 8x06 episode "What Went Wrong" – so obviously that coincidence in word choice goes to their credit...not mine. Okay, *now* you can proceed. **

* * *

"So, I just wanted to talk business for a second, if you don't mind," she said to him as they made their way back towards the other end of the building. The music was a dull echo to Hailey's ears now, but that made her rapid heartbeat all the more overwhelming.

"Hope your boyfriend doesn't mind me stealing you away," Booth said, making a failed attempt at a wink.

Hailey dryly chuckled. "Ha, no he's cool with it. He wanted me to "spread my wings" or whatever that saying is," she said, taking a seat on an empty lounger. She slowly leaned back, casually crossing her legs, her heels just touching the hardwood floor.

"Alright, I'll bite," Booth said, drawing out his words a little. Hailey didn't know if that was his attempt at being quote-un-quote smooth, or if he was just that wasted. Either way, it wasn't working; but for the sake of their operation, she'd pretend that it was. "What is it you had in mind?"

"Well, since you seemed so _satisfied _with our work earlier, Ryan and I thought that maybe we could strike up a deal of some kind...for a price." She clicked her tongue against her cheek, the sound seeming much louder given the otherwise deafening silence in the room.

"I'm listening," Booth said, leaning in closer.

Hailey could smell the beer on his breath but continued talking anyway. "Well, if you could help us network, then we could cut you in on some premium product."

"What's the catch?"

Hailey let a small smile play on her lips, and she shook her head like she couldn't believe him. "What is it with you and catches?"

"I just like to know what I'm getting into."

"What? You don't trust us?"

"I like you, Kelly, don't get me wrong, but your boyfriend doesn't seem too keen on doing business with me."

"Oh, don't worry about him. Like he said before, I keep him in line," she gave a chuckle for good measure, but it came off a little awkward. Fitting, Hailey considered, since she wasn't 100% confident with where this conversation was going. _Why wouldn't he take the deal?_

"Come on Ronnie, what can I say to convince you this is the best move?" She heard herself ask. Well, she thought it was her, but she couldn't be sure as she felt like she was a fly on the wall of her own life as the scene played out in front of her.

She moved a little bit closer to him, balling her hand into a fist to refrain from tugging her dress back down as she felt it ride up her legs. She purposefully leaned forward a little bit more, opening her mouth to ask if he would "oh so graciously" reconsider.

Before she got a word out, her lips were attacked by Booth's, his mustache scratching her face. She wrenched her face away from his instantly. "Woah, woah, woah…" she said, pushing at his chest. "Ron, that's not what this is."

"Oh come on Kelly, why else would you have brought me back here?" He whispered, moving closer to her with every word he spoke.

"To talk _business_," Hailey reiterated, moving away from him as far as she could to the other end of the couch.

"I think we're done talking," he said, lunging at her. His weight was crushing her legs, so she was pinned down to the couch. Thankfully, she still could move her hands, so she smacked him across the face.

"Get off me!" She yelled at him. She tried to push him off again, but he got aggressive, grabbing her arms and holding her down.

"No!" She said when she felt his lips against her skin again. "Stop," she tried, as his hands slinked under her dress.

"You want this," he growled in her ear.

"You son of a bitch," she spat, and when he tried to cover her mouth, she bit him.

That was when the hits kept coming – literally. She tried to block her face with her hands, but he got two good punches into the side of her face that made her feel like her head was split open. Course maybe that was from being thrown down to the hardwood floor amongst the tussle, she didn't know for sure.

She only felt like she was in real trouble when he hit her straight in the face, and she felt her vision go blurry as he caught her in the eye. She wasn't particularly a religious person, but in that moment she prayed that someone could hear her screaming over the bustle that went on outside.

She could feel her head grow heavy, and her neck wasn't strong enough to hold it up anymore. The edges had blurred, and everything was foggy to her now, including her hearing, as her ears felt like they had been stuffed with cotton.

She could've sworn she heard another voice in the room, belonging to another person…a different person. But who? She wasn't 100% sure as she felt herself start to succumb to the blackness.

* * *

She heard scuffling, and a distinct curse from Booth's mouth. Then nothing…silence, well, except for the pulse that was pounding in her ears.

She sucked in a ragged breath as her whole face hurt, but she felt a warmth on her hand as she felt someone else try and grab it. She wretched it away out of panic, until she smelled mint. And she knew it was Jay. Thank god. She tried to keep her eyes open, but she felt so weak.

"Jesus Christ, Hailey….hold on, okay? We're gonna get you some help, alright? Stay with me, Hailey…"

She must've been dreaming, because she felt like she was floating. It was only when she heard muffled music that she realized she was being carried out of the lounge. The cold air hit her face, stinging the blood that had started to dry on her cuts.

"Hm," she mumbled as she was set upright. _A seat_, Hailey thought. _A car. No, a truck. Jay's truck._ That much she knew to be true.

"Will! We're coming to Med right now. Get a room open, have the staff on standby, alright?" Jay yelled into his cell phone at his brother.

The older Halstead relayed his okay as well as Jay's info the rest of the Med staff. Jay sped through all the lights, weaved through the throngs of cars out on the streets, thanking God that his siren was in his glove box for cases like this.

What felt like the longest ride of his life was only about 8 minutes. He threw the truck in park and hurried around to the passenger side.

Hailey felt light on her feet again, as Jay carried her into the main bay of the hospital. Maggie was waiting for them with a gurney. He saw Will at the end of the hall, due to his standout ginger locks.

"She uh, god, I don't know, she's been attacked. Please, just do whatever you can," Jay said. "She's been in and out of consciousness. I don't know how bad it is…." He felt the lump in his throat begin to form.

He barely registered Maggie's words of "Don't worry, we got her, Jay. We got her." The same thing happened when Will had to hold him back from the initial intake room where Hailey was being assessed. "Jay, just give them some space," Will reasoned with his younger brother.

Jay could hear himself speak, saying something that sounded emotional, but he couldn't tell you exactly what. Everything felt like it was being twisted around and spit back out to mean something different. He couldn't think straight. All he saw was red. And he didn't just mean the blood on Hailey's face.

He wanted to kill Booth. No, scratch that. He _would_ kill Booth. With that in mind, he raced from the hospital, despite Will's calls for him to stop.

He got out his phone as he raced outside, calling the only person he could think of at this point that would know where Booth was.

"Hello?" Garrett answered.

"Garrett, where the hell is he?"

"Who?"

"What do you mean, _who_?! Your boss, Ronald Booth, you jackass!"

"Hey man, what–"

"Forget it, just forget it."

He let out a frustrated scream into the cool night air, seeing his breath take off in hazard lines. He gripped his phone so hard with his hand he wondered if he could shatter it. His blood was still boiling when he could feel his brother's presence behind him.

"Will, not now."

"_Hey_," Will warned, looking at Jay with a look only an older brother could give to a younger sibling. "They stabilized her, she's alright. She's asking for you."

"What?"

"Hailey. She's asking for you." Will said softly, guiding Jay back towards Gaffney's front doors.

Jay nodded at his brother, but couldn't find actual words yet. _She's okay_. _Thank god_.

When he came to a stop outside what he assumed to be her room, he was suddenly nervous. _What if she was mad at him? He should've done more….been there. Gone back with her. Anything to prevent this_.

"Hey, it's okay," Will tried to reassure him. He motioned for him to go inside, so slowly, Jay obeyed.

All his doubt was washed away when he saw her smile – well, as much as she could with how badly her face was beat up.

"Jay," she said, albeit raspier than normal because she was injured and exhausted. "Hi."

He swore he'd never liked the sound of his own better than in that moment. "Hailey," he sighed, looking at her for a second, just to appreciate the hugely impactful fact that she was actually here.

He took a few steps closer to her, trying to decide what in the world he was supposed to _do_ now. They weren't actually a couple, and even though that was the best kiss he'd had in forever, he didn't think it was appropriate to try for another. Should he hug her? Take her hand? What? He didn't know – this was all new territory for him.

He decided to start with an apology. "Hailey, I'm sorry. I should've had your back. I should've been there for you. I–"

"Hey," she whispered, reaching for his hand. He sat down in the chair next to her bed so she could fully take it in hers. "_You_ have nothing to be sorry for."

Jay knew there was no point in arguing with her. He'd never get very far anyway. She kept her wits about her, and was always one-upping him with snappy comebacks, so he'd save the banter for when she was feeling better.

The idiotic part of his brain decided what would come out of his mouth next apparently, because out came a mood-killer of a question. "Booth…he didn't…did he?" He couldn't bring himself to say the word _rape_ out loud, for fear he'd really lose it and go off Booth himself.

"No," she answered quickly but adamantly. "He didn't."

She looked down, but when he caught her eyes again, he saw that hers were brimming with tears.

"Hail–" he began to say her name, but she cut him off.

"Thank you," she whispered. "For saving me…again." A small smile was shown on her lips, but it faded fast as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I uh, I'd hate to think what would've happened if you hadn't of gotten there when you did. So, thank you. I'm sorry you're always the one rescuing me…" she barely got out that last part, as a sob choked her throat.

"Hailey, don't you say that. Don't you ever say that. I'd always help you, and I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you. I– I don't know what I would've done if something worse happened. I'm…I'm so glad you're safe, you're here. You're gonna be okay. I promise." He stood up, still holding her hand. He leaned over her bed frame, trying to give her a hug. She shifted in his grasp, yanking the bar down so he could actually sit next to her.

"Here," she whispered against his ear. "Stay, please?"

He pulled back and looked into her eyes. They were still wet with tears, but he saw the genuine hope there…that he'd stay with her. He'd do anything for her, and he wanted to make sure she knew that.

"Of course. Whatever you need." He slowly sat on the edge of the bed next to her, retaking her hand. She moved over as much as the annoying monitor cord attached to her would allow. He got comfortable enough on the bed, and she leaned back into him, settling her head on his chest.

"I just need you, Jay." She said wistfully, her eyes growing heavy with sleep this time. She tapped her hand on his chest, humming a tiny bit as she got comfortable. She could hear his heartbeat in her ears, and it was oddly grounding. To really know that he was there…_really_ there next to her. She'd never felt so safe in her life. And it was all thanks to him. She wanted him to know that.

"Thank you, for being here." She said, looking up at him. He stared down at her, green blending into blue, and the two communicated with their eyes like they'd grown accustomed to doing over the last 7 days. Or probably 8 now, as neither had any idea what time it was.

Hailey let herself break eye contact with him, leaning her head back down all the way. She could feel the muscles in his chest move as he shifted against her, presumably to lay back himself.

That was how Will Halstead found the two when he came back to check on them. Together. The only place he figured they'd end up. He smiled, poking Natalie's shoulder as she walked by doing her rounds. She snuck a quick peek, smiling just as wide as Will was at the sight.

_What a way to start the year_.


	10. Here and There

**A/N:**** Back with another chapter. This one's kind of a filler, but hopefully ya'll still like it enough, as it's needed to move the timeline along. I tried to incorporate more Upstead feels, so that should tide you over until the next installment. Enjoy!**

* * *

Jay woke up startled, as beeps filled the room. He realized he was still lying next to Hailey in the hospital, but she was thrashing about in her bed. He recognized the signs she was having a nightmare immediately.

"Hailey," he whispered, gently trying to grip her shoulder. When that didn't work, he tried for one of her arms, to steady her, but that backfired.

"No!" She cried, and Jay saw her brows knit together in a mixture of confusion, sadness, and fear.

"Hailey, please. It's me, Jay. You're at the hospital, you're safe." He tried to calm her down, but she was still moving about and her breathing was fast.

"Please, Hailey, please…" he begged, moving his hand up to her face, trying to cup her cheek.

"Hm?" She mumbled, like she was recognizing his voice now. He heard her breathing slow down, and he thanked God that he didn't have to page the nurse or doctor on call. He didn't want to have to have her sedated, or to be doped up on something.

_Wow, Jay, take a breath there, pal_, he admonished. _You're not Hailey's husband…you're not even her actual boyfriend. How would you know what she'd want or wouldn't want? _

"Hailey?" He asked, leaning down a little more in case she did try to speak. "Do you need me to get the nurse or a doctor in here?"

She finally opened her eyes, blinking rapidly. "What? Wh–" she inhaled sharply, trying to sit up to quick. Her eyes widened as she took in her surroundings. Jay, the hospital, the bed, the monitor, the gown she was in, all of it.

She shook her head. "No, no, I don't want any of that. Not right now, anyway. I'm sorry if I scared you. I think it was just a bad dream…" she whispered, playing with the tie of her hospital gown.

"Hey," he said softly, lifting her chin so she'd look at him. "You don't have to put that wall back up. It's me you're talking to. Don't you remember when you helped me through an episode?"

Her eyes were searching his, like she was trying to remember. Her lip curved a fraction of a centimeter. "Yeah."

"So, now it's my turn to help you. If you need me, or want me to, I mean." He said sheepishly, feeling like he'd overstepped once again.

She placed her hand on top of his, which were lying against his leg. "Thank you." She didn't say anything more for a few seconds, until he saw her try and wipe a tear away from her eyes.

"Hey, Hailey…please, just talk to me. Let it out…" he tried, wrapping his arm around her.

"I could still feel him on me…it was like I was reliving it. I've never had that happen before. I've never…"

"Been a victim of something yourself?" He offered to fill in the remainder of the sentence for her.

She slowly nodded, her gaze flitting down to where their hands joined together.

"That doesn't make you any less of a cop, or a person, Hails. It makes you human."

She swiped at her eyes again, before Jay handed her a tissue. "How can you be sure? I mean, how do you…how do you deal with it? Because as much as I want it to, I know it's not just gonna go away."

"Well, I take it day by day. And it helps that I have someone to talk to…at first it was therapy; but now, honestly Hailey, you've helped me so much since I've met you. Sometimes, that normalcy, that give and take, is the best medicine there is."

She looked off for a second, like she was trying to picture it: being normal again, after this. But, when she looked back at Jay, and felt that warm, fuzzy feeling all over again, she knew she could, at the very least, survive this.

"I hope you're right," she whispered.

"I have been known to be on occasion," he lightly joked, earning a playful push against his chest from her. And that's when she realized what he meant, by normal. Because joking with him, being with him like this, _was_ her normal. At least it had been for the last week.

She smiled at him, and had a witty statement on the tip of her tongue when the nurse came in.

"Hello, you two. Hailey, how're you feeling?" She asked as she dragged in her computer cart.

"I'm okay. My head is killing me though," she answered honestly.

"We can get you some pain meds for it if you'd like. If we did though, your boyfriend would have to monitor you before you'd leave the hospital, as we wanna make sure you don't have any adverse reactions."

"Oh, no, he's not–" She stammered, blushing profusely.

"Yeah, don't worry, I'll take care of my girl here," Jay said, squeezing her shoulders, turning to Hailey to wink.

She nodded at the nurse, who excused herself to go get her those pain meds. When they were alone, Hailey swatted Jay's shoulder. "Excuse me? When were you going to tell me that you said you were my boyfriend?"

"How else was I gonna get to stay in here with you?" He said seriously. "I wasn't leaving your side, so I had to lie a little…"

She suddenly became bashful, not wanting to meet his eyes. "_Jay_," she said, and he knew that tone of her voice. It was the one she used when she wasn't sure about something.

"Hailey, I think I know what you're gonna say. So, before you do, let me just get this out, please?" His eyes were pleading with her too, and it took everything in her not to get lost in them.

"Okay."

"I know this wasn't…isn't real. I do, I'm not an idiot. But, Hailey, I _would be_ an idiot if I didn't tell you that when you kissed me last night, that was the realest thing I'd ever felt. And that was the only thing that mattered to me. _You_ are the only thing that matters to me. And I know that whenever this operation is done it'll be case closed and we'll never see each other again, but you have to know that's not what I want. I want _you_," he said, his voice taking on a lower quality as he spoke.

Hailey felt tears well up in her eyes again. She dabbed at them with her tissue, before attempting to say something. "When you kissed me last night, Jay, my whole world stopped. And while I'd want nothing more than to be with you like that; I don't see how…or why you–"

She felt her breath catch in her throat, and she felt really stupid for being so vain.

"Why I'd what, Hailey?"

She shifted her eyes around her face, and watched as Jay understood.

"Is that what you think? That I'd run away because things got tough? Hailey, I swear, you're the most beautiful person I've ever seen, scars or not. Those'll heal, you'll heal. But _not_ having you in my life, that's something I wouldn't be able to get over."

"No, I know you're not that kind of man, Jay, I just–"

"Then what can I say to convince you?"

"I–"

Much like the night before, he shut her up with another kiss. This one wasn't soft, or slow, but intense and compelling, like he was saying all the things he was thinking with his mouth.

She kissed him back, trying to match his energy, and she felt goosebumps erupt down her arms and legs. She sucked in a breath of air between his kisses, and she felt some of that tension melt away in his arms.

He tugged her closer, and she felt his hand go to her cheek, tracing along the bruise she had alongside her cheekbone and ear. The laceration on her forehead was his next destination, sending a shiver down her spine as his finger traced it too. While she could open both of her eyes, the one was still slightly puffy, so they were a little uneven.

His hand held the side of her face where it was, and she leaned into his touch automatically.

"What?" She asked him, feeling self-conscious again.

"I'm just really glad you're here, Hailey. And you'll be okay. I'm not going anywhere. And I hope you know that this, whatever it is, is the best thing I've got going for me."

She smiled at him, grabbing his hand and kissing it. "Jay Halstead, you're the sweetest guy I know."

"_And?_" He quipped, wagging his eyebrows up and down.

"Oh shut it, Halstead, you know I think you're hot."

"I just love hearing you say it," he grinned at her, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Yeah, yeah." She tried to sound like she was over it, but as she snuggled back into his arms, she knew the truth: she had fallen hard for him, and she wasn't planning on letting him go anytime soon.

* * *

"Will you quit fussing over me?" Hailey whined to Jay.

They had just gotten back to their undercover apartment, and Jay was still holding onto Hailey's arm like his life depended on it.

"Sorry," he said, biting his lip. He knew very well he didn't have to walk Hailey upstairs, but he was feeling extra protective of her. It was their first day back – and out of the hospital – and even though it had only been two days since the incident, Jay didn't want to let her out of his sight.

"I know, you're just looking out for me, which I appreciate," she said, smiling at him as she sat down on the sofa. "But you know they gave me a clean bill of health, right? No concussions, no broken bones, nothing like that. Just one hell of a headache," she chuckled.

"I know, you're all good. But still, I just wanna make sure you're okay." He said, finally go of her arm and sitting down next to her.

"You're sweet." She said, leaning over and kissing his cheek. "But, we still gotta figure out what the hell we're gonna do about this case now."

Jay had to fight an eye roll, as he should've known she'd get right back to business after almost 48 hours at Med. "Okay, so what do you think we should do?"

"Well, have you heard from Garrett? Or…Booth?" She added quickly, hating the sound of his name on her lips.

Jay cringed at Ron's name too, still hating him for what he attempted to do – and did – to Hailey. _His_ Hailey.

"No I haven't. I called him that night, when you were in the hospital. He was still pretty wasted, and he didn't know where Booth was. I'm surprised he even knew it was me calling him."

"Alright. Well, maybe if I call him he'll talk," she said, quirking her brow.

"You don't have to."

"I know I don't have to, but what else am I gonna do all day? It's already noon, and as far as they know, we're okay, just hungover or something from the party. They don't suspect anything, and I wanna keep it that way. So, someone's gotta reach out."

"Alright, but I'm staying right here. Because if he tries to play you, I swear I'm gonna lose it."

"Jay," she warned, eyeing him. "Come on now."

"Well! Can you blame me?!"

"Hey, babe, calm down, okay? Let's just agree Garrett and Booth could both use a few swift kicks, and move on, alright?"

She heard Jay sigh next to her, and she wrapped her arms around his, scooting over to him more so that her hands splayed out over his chest.

"Better?" She whispered, as she could perfectly fit her head in the crook of his neck.

"Mhmm," he replied, and she felt his chest tighten under her fingers.

She smirked, running her hands over him, before she began to move her lips against the shell of his ear, down his jaw, and she had reached his neck before her phone so rudely interrupted them.

"Dammit," she cursed, and it was his turn to smirk. Her breath tickled his face, and he kissed her, pulling her to him so she could lay down on the couch too.

"Hello?" She asked, letting out a breath as she settled against Jay.

"Hailey," she rolled her eyes at the sound of his voice.

"What Garrett? You don't reach out for 2 days, so what could you possibly want now?"

"It's not what I want, it's Booth. He wants to meet with you and Jay."

"About what?"

"He said you guys never got to finish discussing your deal on New Year's Eve, so he wanted to finalize it."

"That's all he said?"

"Yeah."

"Wow, you're either stupider than I thought, or you just really don't care about anyone or anything else besides this job. Either makes you an asshole, Garrett."

She felt Jay's chest vibrate with a snicker as he laughed at her sassy remark. She shushed him, which apparently Garrett overheard.

"Wait, you're with Jay right now?"

"Yeah, he's sitting next to me, why?" She knew it wasn't 100% the truth, but she suspected telling Garrett they took their fake relationship to a real level wouldn't help move the conversation along.

"Why'd you tell him to hush? What? Does he have something to say to me?"

"Will you quit it, Garrett. This has nothing to do with Jay, alright? It does, however, have everything to do with me, Booth, and honestly, you. Are you seriously that dense as to ask me if we'll meet with him again?"

"I don't follow."

"No, of course you don't. Because you were too plastered on NYE for Jay to get answers from you, and you haven't even bothered to ask what the hell happened to us at that party!"

"What're you talking about?"

"If you really don't know, why don't you go ask your boss, huh? I'm sure he'd be happy to tell you how he _really_ tried to get something from me."

"Look, Hailey, I know Booth can be a little aggressive, but–"

"_Garrett_," Hailey had an edge in her voice, which made Jay perk up.

"Gimme the phone." He told her.

She shook her head, but Jay wouldn't let up, giving her a look that said: _Let me handle this, please?_ She obliged, giving him her cell.

"Garrett, I'm apparently gonna have to spell it out for you. He attacked her that night at the party, alright. He beat her, and tried to….he tried to take advantage of her. If I hadn't gotten back there when I did–– look, it could've been worse; but what happened shouldn't have happened at all. And you didn't even bother to see if she was alright. Or what the hell happened to either of us at that party. That's why she's pissed, and frankly man, so am I."

"Jay, you don't understand–"

"You're right, I don't. We're supposed to be working this case **together**, and all you've done is either push us away or been a total prick this whole time."

"I'm sorry, okay. I'm sorry, but this is important. Booth still wants to make a deal. If we can get him on this, he'll go away for life, alright? Isn't that what we all want?"

"What do you mean?"

"He's willing to put you in contact with his higher up. If we get that, we'll nail both of them to the wall on distro, possession, all of it. No question."

Jay set the phone down, flipping it onto speaker. "Say it again so Hailey can hear you out."

Hailey looked from him to the phone, before leaning in closer to listen. "Hailey? You there still?" Garrett asked.

"Yeah. What is it?"

"Look, like I told Jay, Booth's still willing to deal. If we can get him on this, we can get him dead to rights, okay? Life without parole, no doubt. Can you guys _please_ just come at least to show him a good faith effort?"

Hailey scoffed, looking at Jay. Jay was looking right back at her, and his eyes held a different intensity than she was used to seeing.

"Listen, we only do this if you think you're gonna be okay," he whispered into her ear, out of Garrett's range.

"I mean, if it's a guarantee, shouldn't we? That's a lot of product gone off the streets of Chicago, not to mention nailing not one, but two SOBs? Sounds good to me."

He nodded, his hand touching her shoulder. She placed her hand over his, before telling Garrett that they'd go ahead with the new meet.

"Good, that's really good. Thanks guys." Garrett said, before hanging up.

Hailey sighed, leaning back against the couch. "Alright, so what're we supposed to do until then? It's not till, when? Tomorrow night, right?" She looked over at Jay, who was stewing next to her.

"Whatcha thinking?" She asked him, putting her chin on his shoulder, wanting to hear him out.

"Nothing," he said, his eyes still looking downward.

"_Jay_," she said his name with purpose. "What's on your mind?"

"I just hope you're okay with me sticking to you like glue tomorrow night. Because if he gets within a foot of you, I'm gonna kill him."

"Well a dead guy won't be good for our case there, slugger," she tried to joke, but clammed up when he shot her a more serious look. _Oops._

"Hey, you know we can do this, right? I wouldn't have agreed to it if I didn't expect you not to leave my side anyhow. We're a team, you and me. I trust you."

He leaned in closer to her, his eyes locking onto hers. "I trust you too, Hailey. Completely, one hundred percent."

"Good." She said earnestly, kissing his nose.

She smiled at him when she saw his face soften. "Y'know, you're kinda cute when you're mad."

"Oh, then I must be adorable right now," he sassed, which made her toss her head back in laughter.

He couldn't not smile at her when she was genuinely beaming like that. He slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her to him once again.

"Hey!" She said playfully, curious as to what he was doing.

"Hi," he said just as sweetly. He held her close, and he searched her face, trying to figure out what look she had in her eyes.

It didn't take him long to figure out when she leaned down and kissed him. Her lips weren't light like before, as she was taking control this time.

He tried to match her pace, but before he found a rhythm, she was moving down to his jaw and neck.

"Hailey," he could hear the rasp in his voice.

"Hm?" She hummed against his neck, which only made his head buzz with more emotion, more need.

He opened his mouth to give her a response, but instead what came out was a groan, as she had snaked her hands underneath his shirt, just as his found their way underneath hers.

"Two can play this game, Upton," he whispered, surprising her by flipping them over, so she was underneath him instead.

She let out a gasp at the change in position, but didn't object when he mimicked her earlier movements.

"I give up," she said as he found her pulse point. "You win," she sighed, her head falling back as her body arched against his.

"I have a pretty great prize," he said, his hands toying with the waistband of her jeans.

"Uh huh," she breathed, finally pulling his shirt up his back. He took the hint, discarding it completely from his upper body.

She cheekily pulled at his belt, bringing him back down to her, while simultaneously beginning its undoing.

He changed course, snaking his hands up rather than down. He had almost made it to her chest when there was a knock at their door.

"Should we?" Hailey whispered, looking at him.

"Hell no," Jay said, loving how she gasped when he ground his denim clad hips into hers.

"Halstead? Upton?"

_Shit._ They both knew who those voices belonged to.

They hurriedly pulled apart, Hailey yanking down her shirt and smoothing out her hair; Jay tossing his t-shirt back on his body and redoing his belt.

"Hailey, Jay, it's Sergeants Voight and Anderson. Open up!"

Jay ran to the door first, while Hailey fixed the couch cushions. He quickly glanced back, and she gave him a thumbs up. It was only then he pulled the door open to greet their commanders.

"Hank, Max. What brings you guys over?"

"We need to talk," Voight said. "Can we come in?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure. What's this about?"

"Hailey, you too, please. Join us," Sergeant Anderson interjected, ignoring Jay's initial question.

"Alright." She sat down on the couch, as did Jay. Their sergeants stood in front of them both.

"Was is it?" She asked, looking between the 3 men.

"Garrett called us. Told us you and Halstead went rogue at the New Year's Eve party? Almost blew the deal with Booth?" Sergeant Voight didn't state it like fact, but rather asked it like a question.

"Hailey?" Max asked, looking at her, like she could somehow clear this up; as if they'd heard wrong. _Which they had_, she thought to herself, as she couldn't help but scoff at the ridiculousness of the accusations.

"Max," she began, and Jay followed suit with, "Hank."

"That's not what happened." They said at the same time, looking at each other before glancing at their respective commanding officers.

"If anyone's been A-WALL this whole op, it's Garrett," Hailey began. "He's been sneaky, snarky, underhanded, and I don't– _we_ don't," she clarified, looking at Jay. "We don't trust him."

"What has he done, exactly?" Voight asked, looking at Jay to fill in some blanks.

"Well, he let Booth get his hands all over Hailey; and came at me in a bar for no reason a few nights ago. He pulled a gun on me at the original meet up site, not to mention has been a complete jerk to the both of us since this whole thing started."

"But you two still managed to do the deal with Booth," Voight countered.

"Sarge," Jay tried, but Hank held up his hand.

"Halstead, that's enough. Look, I get it. You guys don't trust him. We'll look into it, but for now, we _both_ want you to continue as if nothing's happened. You understand? Because if there's tension between you three…"

"Booth's gonna get spooked. And we can't afford not to get that bigger fish," Max tacked on.

Jay nodded, understanding where they were coming from, even if he didn't agree with it. He saw Hailey shake her head yes too. Everyone was now on the same page.

Then why'd they both feel like something was going to go very wrong?


	11. Bittersweet

**A/N:**** Sorry, sorry sorry for the long delay (er, well, long for me, as it's been what? A little over a week. Hopefully this chapter makes up for it. It's a little shorter, but not by much, & has plenty of Upstead feels. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Alright, thanks Max." Hailey said as she hung up the phone.

"And?" Jay asked, still sitting on the sofa where their superiors left them in the morning.

"_And_," Hailey began. "They said they're looking into it. Since Garrett's technically on my team, unfortunately, that means Max has his file. So, while _we_ know he's a liar, they wanna know _why._"

"Ah yes, always with the 'why.'" Jay said, smirking at her.

"Uh huh," She started, as she came back around to sit next to him. "Yeah, how 'bout we make this a no Garrett zone...at least for the rest of the day? We don't have to meet with them until tomorrow anyhow." She finished, peering at Jay through her lashes.

"And what in the world do you suggest we do to pass the time, Hailey?" Jay teased, grinning at her as he pulled her back to their original positions on the sofa _before_ they were interrupted.

"Hm, ya know, I can think of a few things..." she said cheekily. She splayed her hands out on his chest again, staring intently at him. He pulled her back down, kissing her like they had all the time in the world...because they did.

Of course, while neither minded being tangled up in each other, they did have to come up for air...and food, eventually.

"Wow," Hailey whispered, as she ran a hand through her hair. She had finally pulled away, although she really didn't want to. She was literally out of breath, and all they did was make out. _Jay Halstead, a man of many talents_, she thought to herself, biting her lip as she made the move to sit upright.

"You can say that again," she heard him chuckle from beside her, and she swatted his arm. "I'm kidding! Well, sort of...because that was seriously amazing." He gave her one of those genuine smiles, the ones that made her completely melt. Yeah, how was she supposed to stay mad at him? "_You're_ seriously amazing, Hails." He added, wrapping his arm so easily around her shoulders.

"Nice save, Halstead." She responded, leaning into his touch. "Anyone ever tell you you're really good at that?"

"What?" He was rubbing her shoulders when she looked up at him. "Compliments, you mean?" When he broke into a sly grin, she knew he was kidding once again.

"You're the worst sometimes, you know that!"

"Um, I believe mere seconds ago you said otherwise, Upton."

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile herself. He really was the best. She was lucky to have him.

"But, hey, in all seriousness. I'm really happy with you, Hailey. I can't remember the last time I felt this much genuine _joy_ in my life. So thank you, I guess. For being really good at making me smile again."

She felt her smile widen to a new level of cheesiness, but she could've cared less right then. "I'm really happy with you, too." She kissed him sweetly, and he reciprocated. She leaned back into the comfort of his arms, and they stayed like that for the remainder of the afternoon. They didn't feel the need to be anywhere else.

* * *

"Jayyy," Hailey called to him from their bedroom. "I don't know if you know this about me, but I'm not the hugest fan of surprises."

"_Hailey_," Jay said in a slightly mocking tone. "I don't know if you know this about me, but I don't care."

She scoffed, ready to fire back a witty response when he came back down the hall from the bathroom. Of course, she expected him to be fully dressed when she saw him next. But no, Jay waltzed right in to their room, dress pants on, with a white button down draped over his arm.

"Forgot my tie," he defended, catching her wandering eye with a smirk as she finally met his face again.

She tried to hide her blush by actually applying some makeup on her cheeks, hoping the brush would cover the color on her face. She nodded, focusing really hard on finishing her makeup. She still caught a glimpse of him fixing his shirt and tie though, as her vanity mirror offered up the view in the top right corner. She forced her eyes back to her own face before she was caught again.

Hailey gave herself a once over, as she had finished her smokier eye, blush, and lip gloss. She let her hair run wild, as she didn't really know what she was going to where yet. Jay didn't have a set time in mind, and she still had yet to figure out _where_ they were going. She garnered that if he needed a suit a tie, it was somewhere fairly fancy.

"And you're still not giving me any hint as to where we're going?"

He was slipping on his suit jacket when he turned to face her with an answer. "I mean, I'll give you this: it's a new place that opened downtown. I thought it'd be fun to try for our first official date, if that's alright?" Hailey saw Jay look a little embarrassed, and it took her a second to realize why, as she hadn't truly comprehended they were going out on a _real_ date, as a _real_ couple.

"Oh," she said, absentmindedly twirling a piece of her wavy hair around her finger. "Okay, had I known I would've picked out something else besides the black dress you've already seen me in," she said, glancing at her feet.

She saw his face perk up, and before she could ask where in the world he was running off to, he came back in with a neatly wrapped box. He looked so proud of himself, Hailey almost didn't wanna open the gift.

"You really shouldn't have," she said, feeling guilty that she didn't get him anything.

"But I did," he said genuinely, nodding at her to open it.

She carefully unwrapped the box, revealing his surprise gift to her. It was the red dress she had tried on at the mall all those days ago.

"Jay..." she said softly, not able to find the right words to articulate her feelings. It was gorgeous, but also so _not_ what she was expecting. Because then that meant he paid attention, he actually remembered what she looked like in that dress. It was a personal thing, and she felt like she was exposed, even though the very thing making her feel naked was an actual piece of clothing.

He must have mistook her hesitancy as regret, because he bashfully looked at the ground, kicking his foot around, mumbling something she didn't quite hear. She leaned in, and he spoke again. "If it's too much, I'll take it back; I just thought– I don't know. It looked stunning on you, and I guess I just...I just figured you could use a new dress." He didn't have to finish the rest of the sentence, as the haunting night of where she wore the last dress was burned into both of their memories.

She looked back down at the dress before smiling at him. She was really grateful for him, that he would put so much thought into something for her. "Thank you, Jay. I mean it, sincerely. This is," she paused, getting oddly choked up by her emotions. "This is the nicest thing anyone's done for me."

He gave her a signature half smile, and took a couple steps closer to her. She still held the box in her left hand, but he pulled her into him anyway, her right arm still able to hug his waist and back. "You're welcome, Hailey."

They broke apart, and he left her alone for a minute to get changed. Once she slipped into the dress, she fluffed her hair one last time, and they headed out for a lovely evening.

* * *

They had returned home for the night, but Hailey's mind was still buzzing. About how good Jay looked in that suit, and more importantly, how much she wanted him to be _out_ of it. She felt the physical sensations overwhelm her mind, as Jay's hand ran lazily up her arm on the couch. Goosebumps erupted on her skin, all the way down to her fingertips. One innocent touch was all it took, as her next move was to get her lips on his, eagerly kissing him, pawing at his tie and shirt buttons.

She had moved from his lips to his jawline when her name was a breath on his lips. "_Hailey,_"

"Hm?" She hummed, the vibration making his body stiffen against hers. His arms wrapped around her back, pulling her over to him.

His fingers had laced themselves in her hair; then one of his hands had come around to the small of her back. He was taking his time, but she was feeling frenzied, almost frantic with need.

"_Jay_," she whispered his name harshly, finally getting his shirt unbuttoned and sliding it off his body. His hands went torturously slow down her back, before he teased her by running them over the tops of her thighs. "Please," she could hear the desperation in her voice, but at that moment she didn't really care. She'd never wanted to be with someone this much in her life.

"Someone's excited," he joked, smirking at her. He couldn't help but notice how her skin was burning, he could feel the heat radiating off her body. Suddenly, he had a perfect idea. Much to her dismay, he held up his finger, signaling one minute, before she whined as he slipped out from under her.

"Just relax, I'll be right back. Trust me, you'll like it."

She pursed her lips, a little unsure, but she nodded anyhow. She tried to get into a comfortable seating position, but her dress and her desire were making it almost impossible. She decided to sneak back to their bedroom, hoping he'd know where to find her.

She was right. Just as she had gotten comfortable in bed, she heard his footsteps in the doorway. "Hi," she said.

"Hi Hailey," he said, a lilt in his voice.

"So what is this thing I'm going to like now?" She inquired, arching her right brow up in curiosity.

"Trust me?" He asked, as opposed to before when he stated it.

"Of course," she replied, feeling those nerves tick back up again.

"Then close your eyes." There was a steadiness in his voice that she hadn't heard before. Almost like a demand, but still with enough softness to know he was genuine.

She sat up a little straighter, but closed her eyes like he asked. She could see from behind her eyelids that he had turned the overhead light off, leaving a dim glow of the lamp. She felt the bed shift as he sat down, next to her, of course, as she could smell mint.

She felt like she was waiting on pins and needles, as every atom of her was desperate to know his next move. She barely got the chance to ask him what he was waiting for when he took control, attaching his lips to hers.

She only gasped when she felt the cold drop of water hit her tongue. She was a little confused at first, until she realized it was actually water. Well, melting water, from an ice cube, that is. She felt her shoulders tense up as the coolness mixed with their breath.

Just when she thought she'd officially gotten used to the newness, the cold hit her neck, as the mostly melted ice cube on Jay's lips was now trailing down her skin. Her head dropped back instinctively, and she was too engrossed her feelings to notice he had unzipped her dress. That is, until she felt the fabric open up underneath her back, which was pushed back into the bed now.

She quickly pulled the straps down, dying for her body to move while her mind felt frozen in time, as she was singlehandedly focused on the insane sensations she was feeling. She moved her hips up, trying to get out of it further, momentarily forgetting she'd meet his in a second. He had dropped his head into the crook of her neck though, cursing, which brought her back to reality.

Her name was a rasp on his lips, and she used the tiny pause in activity to wiggle the dress off. What she didn't expect was for Jay to have more surprises up his sleeve. She had closed her eyes for a moment to take a breath, but she quickly opened them once she felt his mouth back on her skin. Only this time, he was traveling lower, the ice making its way down the center of her chest. His lips had reached her navel when her hips bucked the first time.

She only cursed his name when his laugh sent vibrations from head to toe. He had caught her eyes once before going right back to business, which apparently was making her see just how long she could last without losing it. She sank further down into the pillow, biting her lip as he reached the most sensitive spot.

"Fuck," she whispered, the dual temperatures overwhelming her. She knew _he_ knew what he was doing, as it didn't take much more for her to come undone.

Once she came back down from her high, she knew exactly what to do to get him back. Her hands found the ice, and her lips found his skin, running it along each of his abs, trailing just close enough to the waistband of his boxers to get him riled.

"You don't play fair," he said through gritted teeth.

Now it was her turn to chuckle. "Hey, you started it. I'm just making sure we _both_ finish."

* * *

Hailey woke up the next morning to find Jay right where she hoped he'd be: by her side.

His arm was slung around her waist, and she was warmed by his body against hers. She stayed like that for a moment, feeling his heartbeat against her back as his chest moved against her body.

She'd stay in his arms forever if she could, but she knew that once this deal was over with, she'd have to go back to reality. And reality was a world without Jay – or at least it _was_, until last night.

Because now that her two worlds had collided, how was she supposed to choose? Did she want to go public with this new relationship? Hell, did _he_ want to? She wasn't sure. She wasn't sure of anything, except for how she felt wrapped up in his embrace. And there, she felt safe, loved, and comforted.

She just hoped when he woke up he'd feel the same. If not, she didn't know what was going to do without him as a part of her life.

_If only she knew… _


	12. Exposed

"And you're sure it's a controlled meet? Like, there won't be any surprises?" Hailey asked Garrett over the phone. She was pulling on her boots, as Jay had finished buttoning up his coat. Her phone was sitting on their bed, as they both continued their movements about the room.

"Yes." Garrett said simply, as if this was going to be a piece of cake. Hailey wished she could believe that, but she still couldn't shake the feeling something was amiss.

"Alright, we'll see you in 30 minutes." Jay said, and Hailey nodded at him, assuming that was her cue to hang up the phone now.

"Bye," she said quickly, before pressing END.

She sighed, tucking her phone into her coat pocket before zipping up her other shoe. She ran a hand through her hair and fell back onto the mattress. She felt the bed shift, and before she knew it, Jay had joined her, even matching her heavy sigh with one of his own.

She stole a glance at him, hating that she could feel his eyes on her already…even though she secretly loved how intuitive he was when it came to her thoughts. Like he already knew what she was thinking before she even vocalized it.

"Hailey."

She turned her head slowly at the sound of her name. His green eyes were soft, the same as his lips were, which curved into a tiny smile.

"Tell me what's on your mind."

She smiled at him, twisting her lips as if she had to think about it. "Well, since you're giving me _that_ look, like you already know…do I even have to say it?" She asked, half joking.

His lip ticked up on one side, almost making a smirk. But his eyes were still soft, like he was treading lightly, trying to search her for something.

"Why are you worried about tonight?" He asked her, not overtly saying he knew, but sincerely asking for her take on things.

"I just…I don't trust Garrett. And I hate having someone on my team I don't trust."

"I know…I get it, I do. But, you and me? We've got this. Okay? Garrett just wants to do a little show and tell….from what he laid out earlier, it seems like he'll be doing most of the talking anyhow. A good faith effort, and we can nail the higher ups. Then no more bad dope is going out on the streets…at least not from this side of town."

"I know….and you're right, about catching those SOB's." She sucked in a breath. "It'll just be the first time since…."

Jay didn't say anything, he just pulled her into him, hugging her tightly. He placed a kiss on the top of her head, his hands rubbing soothing circles on her back and arms.

"And I just–– I wanna be in control, you know? I don't want to let it get to me." She whispered, looking up at him, attempting to blink back the tears that started to build up. She didn't let herself get emotional like this…but with Jay, it was different. With him, she felt safe. So, she did something she never really did. She let a tear slip down her cheek.

She still felt silly, being nervous and unsure. She was never like this. No, scratch that. She never _let herself_ be like this. She buried her head into Jay's chest, wanting a tiny reprieve from her internal monologue.

"Hey, it's okay, Hailey. You're nothing less even if it _does_ get to you, you hear me?" He pulled back from her a little bit, tilting her chin up with his fingers. He wiped away a couple more tears from her cheeks with his thumb, his hand still caressing that side of her face. "You're the strongest woman I know. And I know you can do this. You know I've got you, okay? Nothing's gonna happen to you, not on my watch."

Then she saw something she didn't expect. Jay was the one getting choked up. "I know I didn't protect you that night; and you don't know how sorry I still am for that. But just know, I'm never letting anything like that even come close to happening again. Alright? Please, please, believe that."

Hailey managed to smile through her tears, grabbing Jay's face and pulling him to her so she could kiss him. It was simple, and sweet, nothing over the top, but just enough to let him know that she did believe him. She trusted him completely. And she hadn't had that in forever.

"Thank you." She whispered when she finally pulled away.

He looked at her inquisitively, before it dawned on him. "I'll always be here for you, Hailey. Always," he said genuinely.

"I know, and you have no idea what that means to me, Jay. I hope you at least know how much I trust you. I trust you with my life, 100%, completely."

He leaned in and kissed her, surprising her like she had done to him just moments earlier. There was a little more fire behind it, and Hailey felt her body spark against his, lighting up as his hands wrapped around her waist.

She closed her eyes for a brief second, just so she could focus on him. His essence: everything that made him _Jay_. And when she opened her eyes, she saw that his were once again soft, and his lips matched their tone, dialing it back slightly.

When they both simmered down, they eventually broke apart, figuring they should probably get going or they'd be late. _No way they'd explain themselves out of that one_.

* * *

"There you are!" Garrett said, practically shoving the both of them from Jay's truck once their feet touched the graveled road.

"Jesus, would you calm down?!" Hailey hissed, not in the mood for this. Jay grabbed her hand as Garrett kept trying to goad them forward.

"Would you lay off, man? Alright, we're moving, see!" Jay said firmly, gently pulling Hailey to him and taking steps forward towards the seedy establishment that lied in front of them.

"Just go inside. Room 102. He's waiting."

Hailey and Jay made their way around the motel's fenced entryway, into the first outside hallway of rooms. 102 was right in front of them within seconds.

He was about to knock on the door when Booth's voiced echoed to them outside. "Come on in."

Jay and Hailey tentatively took steps inside the motel room, which smelled of cigarettes and booze, not to mention looked like a frat house blew through.

"Ah, finally. My two favorite people," Booth said, waving his beer around as he leaned forward in his chair. "Sit, sit," he said, pointing to the two empty chairs that sat empty by the sad excuse for a dining table.

"Alright Ron, let's just get this over with," Jay spat, not wanting Hailey to have to be here any longer than need be.

"Where's Reynolds?" He barked, looking past them and out to the door, which was half open. He attempted to stagger to his feet, but he fell back down onto the chair.

"Alright, alright, look, we'll go grab Garrett; just hold on Ronnie," Hailey stated, getting up and grabbing Jay's hand. "He was right behind us, he couldn't have gotten far." She reassured him. If she had to be here, she was at least gonna try her best to sell it. She wanted to nail him, but more importantly, whomever he was working for or with.

They got up and entered the hallway. Strangely enough, Garrett was nowhere in sight. _Where the hell was he? _

"Look, I'll go ask at the desk if he got another room or something. You check the rest of the hallway and upstairs?" She offered, looking at him.

Jay nodded, patting his jeans pocket where his cell was. Hailey's eyes glanced from his phone to his face, understanding. He'd call when he found him. She bit her lip as the sinking feeling in her stomach came back. But then she remembered Jay's words: _We got this_. _I've got you_. And she knew he did.

She squeezed his hand once more before they parted ways, Jay heading down the hall, while Hailey rounded the corner to the office.

"Hi, ma'am," she called to the clerk. "Is Garrett Reynolds staying in a separate room from Ronald Booth?"

The older woman looked up at her, then back to her mailboxes with room key hooks and numbers attached. "Lemme see here….Reynolds. 201. Upstairs."

"Thanks," Hailey said, dashing out of the office to text Jay. She had just pulled out her phone to send him a message when she heard the worst sound in the world.

"Garrett, I swear to god, if you got cold feet, I am going to kill you," Jay muttered to himself, shaking his head as he bounded up the stairs to the second floor. He struck out on the rest of the first floor, so up to 2 he went.

"Garrett?" He called, not really caring about other guests right now. It's not like this was the Ritz or something. "Garrett, where the hell are you?"

He pounded in on some doors, most of which were locked, or he was met with angry shouts. _205…204…203…202….come on_, he begged with who, he wasn't completely sure, as he pounded on the door of 201.

Surprisingly, the door popped right open. Course, that wasn't what _really_ shocked Jay. What had Jay speechless was Garrett, surrounded by bundles of cash, counting up his money like he didn't have a care in the world.

"What the hell are you doing?" He demanded, making Garrett's head shoot up.

"What am I doing? Man, what the hell are you doing in here?!"

"What do you mean, what am _I_ doing? You're the one that needs to start talking! _Now_!"

Garrett dropped the bills from his hand, standing up to encroach on Jay's space. Jay got in his face too, ready for whatever this was going to be.

"Start talking, Garrett." He seethed, feeling his blood boil as the seconds ticked by.

"I don't answer to you," he spat, pushing Jay out of his way.

"Oh, like hell," Jay whispered, shoving Garrett against the wall of his room, his elbow across his neck.

"What the hell is all this?"

Garrett smirked, laughing in his face. "Are you really that clueless?"

Jay's eyes widened at the realization at what this was. What _he_ was. No, this couldn't be happening. There was no way…was there? _The evidence is staring you right in the face_, his mind chided.

He barely heard the click of Garrett's gun on his temple, until his grave voice snapped him back. "Back up, Halstead."

Jay raised his hands slowly, backing away. "Look, Garrett, whatever this is…it doesn't have to go down like this." He tried to reason.

"You really don't get it, do you?"

Jay couldn't stop his brows from knitting together. "So, you're working with Booth, you're not just UC, you're dirty. Fine, okay. But what the hell does that have to do with us?"

"Because you and Hailey couldn't leave well enough alone. If she would've just let him do what he wanted at that party, we wouldn't be here right now. We stood to make bank on that deal for permanent distribution with Booth's biggest players. But now, because of that bitch, I'm back to counting my bets and watching my back."

"What did you just say?" Jay's tone was clipped, his voice didn't sound like his own to his ears anymore. Because if he heard what he thought he just heard, Garrett knew what Booth was going to do to Hailey that night of New Year's Eve.

Garrett just scoffed, shaking his head at the thought, like both Jay and Hailey weren't even worth his time anymore.

That's when Jay saw red. That's when he lunged at Garrett. And that's when the gun went off.

* * *

Hailey ran like she had never run before. "10-1, 10-1, we've got shots fired at 211 West Racine, Motel 6 off of Route 9. I need an ambulance rolled to my location _now_!" She screamed into her radio.

"10-1 heard, 2113, ambo en route."

She bolted up the stairs, ready to draw her gun at the first sign of movement. In her peripheral, she saw a figure come out of the doorway. _Shit, that was Garrett's room_.

"Show me your hands!" She screamed, raising her weapon.

She came face to face with Garrett, who had blood spatter on his shirt and face. His hands were raised, but his eyes were panicked.

"Hailey," he said, grabbing for her arms. She instinctively lowered her weapon, scanning Garrett for any injuries. He wasn't bleeding from any specific place on his body. Then whose blood was it?

_No._ She tried to push past him, but he held her in his grasp. "Hailey, I'm sorry…"

"**No**!" She screamed, looking from him to the room, where the door was half open, and she could see blood on the mirror and the chair.

"Garrett! Let me go! I have to help him!"

"Hailey!" He yelled at her, so loudly, it made her freeze. "He's gone. I'm sorry. Booth, he…he saw Jay come in, and this was where the money was. He thought Jay was trying to make off with his cash. They fought, and he shot him. Point blank range."

"_Where the hell were you_?!" She screamed at him, pushing at his chest.

"Booth cold cocked me. I was down for the count until the gun went off. I tried to stop him, but he took off down the back stairway, I think…he was gone before I could even blink."

"Garrett, I have to see him. He _has_ to be okay!"

"Hailey, I checked him for vitals. He's gone. He doesn't have a pulse. I'm sorry."

Hailey felt her lip quiver, and she felt her legs give out. Garrett attempted to catch her as she collapsed to the floor, on her knees, her hands over her face. She sobbed, and sobbed.

"Jay!" She cried his name, she cried for all the things she never got to tell him. Like she loved him. And she needed him. But now he was gone. And she couldn't imagine how she was supposed to get through this. Because the one person who had her back this whole time, was no longer here. To hold her up. So, who could blame her for completely giving up?

She succumbed to her sadness, not even registering Garrett leading her away from the scene. She thought she saw him talk to the paramedics, but maybe not. She couldn't believe anything right now.

Little did she know how right she was.

* * *

**A/N: Slipping the author's note down here this time, so ya'll could soak in the chapter. I know, I know...but just trust me, it's far from over. Okay? Sorry for the long wait in updating...writing for my job had to take precedent over fanfic for last week. I sincerely really and truly hope to churn out another chapter as kind of an "after" chapter to this – like how Hailey copes. Anyhow, hope you guys liked this one. Thanks for all the great feedback! Can't wait for the mini crossover next week! -K. **


	13. Might As Well Be Strangers

**A/N:** **Back with the highly requested follow-up chapter! There's a lot of back and forth in POV's this time...that may continue into the next chapter, I'm not 100% sure yet though. Oh, and the lyrics that are mentioned towards the end of the chapter are from a song called "Hold On" by Chord Overstreet. It was actually used in a fan video for Upstead called: "Don't Leave Me [7x12]." I think it was by itsJohanna on YT – in case you wanna look that up haha. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter & I apologize once again for the delay. Thanks for reading regardless! **

* * *

Jay wasn't a super religious person. Sure, he and his brother Will, were raised Irish Catholic as kids, but he didn't know if he believed in that stuff much anymore. Considering his life had worked out the way it did. But, he reasoned, if he believed in Hell, this would be it. And if the devil was real, it had taken the form of Garrett Reynolds. He couldn't have hated a person more if he wanted to. Of course, at the present moment in time, the pain in his shoulder was taking priority over his anger towards the person who put the bullet there.

He shifted his weight, really not understanding why his hands had to be zip tied. He wasn't going anywhere. Not like he could even if he wanted to. Garrett had managed to shuffle him from the motel, to whatever undisclosed location he was in now. He just wished he knew where. He was still unconscious when they arrived. He had only just come to a few minutes ago. He blinked, trying to clear the haze from his vision.

He was in some sort of room, he assumed a basement with how drafty it was. He was surrounded by concrete, so he figured that even if he had the energy to scream, no one would hear him. He let out a breath, hating the feeling of a weight being in his chest. Course, he knew what part of that was. The fact that he didn't know what happened to Hailey. If she was okay. And he hated not knowing. He also hated the fact that she didn't know what happened to him either. _Did she think I was dead? _His mind reluctantly entertained that thought, but he had to push it away when the door swung open. Oh good, the devil himself had arrived. This would be...interesting to say the least.

* * *

Hailey hadn't moved from her chair in hours. She kept combing through security footage, witness statements, anything and everything she could get her hands on to explain what went down at that motel. She refused to believe he was really gone. She just couldn't. She sighed, rubbing her eyes for the umpteenth time. It hadn't even been 24 hours since the incident, and yet, to her it felt like the longest day of her life. Although now, she remembered as she looked outside, it was nighttime.

"Hey, you sure you don't wanna come to Chatham with me and Rebecca?" Cara asked, getting her purse from her deep desk drawer.

"I'm good here," Hailey said, not looking away from the papers in front of her.

"Alright," Cara sighed, standing up and heading out for the night. Hailey looked up for a brief second as she left, wishing she could just flip a switch and be normal again. But, until she had answers, nothing would ever be normal for her again.

She about jumped out of her skin when she felt a couple hands on her shoulders. "You okay?"

"Jesus, Garrett, you scared me half to death!" She admonished, spinning around in her chair to look at him. "What're you still doing here? Go home." She hoped she sounded less demanding than she felt. She really wasn't in the mood to make nice with him right now.

"I just wanted to see how you were," he asked.

She shrugged, glancing his way briefly. "I don't know."

"Hailey," he tried, placing his hand back on her shoulder. "I did everything I could. Booth's rage was just...too much."

She nodded, although she didn't fully understand what he meant. She hadn't even seen any autopsy photos from the scene, but from how Garrett described Jay's wounds, maybe that was for the best. A bullet at point blank range was intense and gruesome. She didn't want to remember Jay like that. She managed a grimace in his direction, hoping he'd take the hint to just leave her be. She could feel the tears coming on again, and she wanted to be alone for the next breakdown.

He did, not saying another word as he bounded off. Once she was sure he was gone, she let the tears fall. She cried out her frustrations, her sadness, her fear. All of it. She just couldn't believe that the one person who could make her feel better, was the same one who wasn't around to do so anymore.

She had managed to pull herself together a few minutes later, when the weirdest thought crossed her mind. She realized she hadn't seen Garrett since the incident, except for that time just a little bit ago. _Where had he been?_ Curious, she walked over to his desk. He was the most disorganized person she'd ever met, so his desk always looked like a tornado had touched down.

She rifled through a few papers, and was about to open his desk cabinet when she felt the harsh pull of her forearm. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Sorry," she replied sheepishly. "Just wanted to know if you had your IRT written up. Anderson wants it ASAP, he just texted," she lied, not turning to look at him. He still hadn't let go of her arm, but she wrenched it away before finally facing forward. She raised her brows, waiting for him to respond.

"It's here," he said, moving around her and going through the mass of paper. He shoved it in her direction with haste, before he opened his desk drawer for his keys. "Forgot these." He left in a huff before she had a chance to respond. _What the hell was that about_?

Hailey decided she'd better go home too, although she knew she wouldn't be able to much of anything besides think of the last horrible day. She missed him terribly, and she wished more than anything there was some way for him to know that. She looked up, his name a mere whisper on her lips before she grabbed her jacket and headed into the night.

* * *

If Hailey were there with Jay, he'd tell her how much he missed her. How much he loved her, and how much he needed her in his life. But since she wasn't, and he couldn't, he talked to the sky, which he could see through the tiny barred window above the door. "Hails, I'm okay. I'm coming back to you, whatever it takes."

He remembered how he promised he'd have her back, and now he couldn't be there for her when she needed him most...hell, _he_ was the cause of her pain right now. And he hated that most of all. "I'm sorry, Hailey." That was the last whisper he got in before he was met with Garrett's smug face in the doorway again. He had simply come back to check on him the first time, a mere 5 second stare down. Now, he actually spoke to Jay, in a tone so calm it sounded suspicious.

"On your feet, Halstead."

Not wanting to argue, Jay did as he was told and stood up. He narrowed his eyes at Garrett, not sure what the hell the whole plan was. Why take him? Was he that threatened by his knowledge of what was essentially money laundering? _Maybe_, Jay thought, as he took in the slight wideness of Garrett's eyes.

"Okay, so what now Garrett? What is the point of all this?"

"The point is, you're not going to ruin the thing I've worked so hard to build. I had everything down to a science, it was all set in stone, until you had to play hero..."

"Watch yourself," Jay warned, knowing very well what was going to be said next.

A silence was cut through by a knee jabbed into his side, and since he couldn't move his hands, it sent him down to his knees instead. He sucked in a breath, feeling like the wind had been knocked out of him. He glared at Garrett, who got in his face once again. Unlike the bar fight from what seemed like forever ago, Jay didn't have the upper hand this time.

"You wanna try a different approach there?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he challenged.

"Let me rephrase it then, because I'm not asking you." Garrett replied, and Jay could see how gravely serious he was. So, as much as it pained him to have to take orders from the worst person to walk the earth, he bit his tongue for the remainder of the conversation.

"This is exactly what I mean," he began again. "You and your self-righteous attitude. Damn, no wonder you and Hailey got along so well. The two of you...always gotta do the right thing."

"What the hell is the matter with that?"

"Nothing...if you're fine with being boring. Me? I was sick of playing by everyone else's rules. Everything was going great, like I said. Till Hailey fucked it up...or rather, didn't get f–"

He didn't finish his second expletive, as Jay spat in his face. A couple knocks to his head made him never want to try that again though.

"And you wonder why you're here like this. Man, this shit is tiring." Garrett shook his head, as if he couldn't believe he was wasting more of his breath talking to Jay. He stood up, leaving Jay in silence once again.

For once, Jay welcomed the quiet. He simply sank back into the ground, wishing it would swallow him whole. Instead, his mind floated away to the one place he knew he'd be happiest: her. And it stayed there until his eyes finally succumbed to sleep.

* * *

Hailey was never one to like cheesy popular songs, but she couldn't help but remember on her drive home how Jay was drumming his fingers to the beat of one after a night out. She remembered asking him what he was humming along to, and he told her.

_Let me take your hand, I'll make it right  
I swear to love you all my life_

She listened to the lyrics and allowed herself to cry, as it really did encompass her feelings towards Jay at the moment. She did still need him; she did still want him. She needed him to come back. But, she tried to remind herself, he wasn't coming back. He was never coming back, and that thought was the one that utterly killed her.

Because she didn't know how she was supposed to go on without him. _Loving and fighting, accusing, denying, I can't imagine a world with you gone…_

She thanked God that she had made it back to her actual home, as she couldn't bear the thought of going back to their UC apartment. Not yet. She pulled into a parking spot, and turned off the car. She shivered, her bones felt chilled. But she knew it was her heart that had grown numb. Because she didn't want to feel anymore. It was getting to be too much.

She tried to take in some air, but even her breath was shaky. She held out her hands, finding them to be the same. She felt her face scrunch up, in that way it only did when she was crying silently. She felt the tightness in her chest, like her body was trying to squeeze the life out of her heart. She couldn't blame it…she felt like the life had been drained from her body the moment she heard Jay was dead.

She was momentarily brought out of her emotional rollercoaster by the sound of her phone. It was a text. From Garrett, of all people. She rolled her eyes, not even bothering to look at it. She simply turned her phone off, wishing it was as easy to do the same to her mind, as its thoughts were all about Jay.

She just wished she could've said goodbye. Even if it wasn't the prettiest, most poignant confession of feelings, she just wished she could've at least had that chance. But no, because the world was apparently too cruel to let her have closure.

She sighed, shivering once again, this time because of the falling temperature of the night air. She really should get inside. She popped open the door, slowly walking up to her house, which looked so strange to her after not being in it for 2 weeks now. _Yeah_, she reminded herself, _that's not the only thing that feels strange right now_.


	14. Time Passes: Part 1

**A/N:** **And hey hi hello, here's another chapter for you guys! I'll be busy tomorrow, so I wanted to get this in now while I was motivated, LOL. Hopefully I'll have another installment soon, but I hope that this tides you over until then. Also, are you guys excited for the crossover on Wednesday? I am! And then the next week is supposed to be an Upstead-heavy episode, so I hope we get good things for them in 7x16! Anyways, enjoy this next chapter!**

* * *

It had been a month since the darkest day of Hailey's life. It had only been about 1 week into her new detail: the 21st district, in Hank Voight's Intelligence Unit, actually. She knew to most people it would sound crazy, but she strangely felt closer to Jay when she was there.

"Morning, Hailey!" Kim greeted her, in her usual sunny disposition, which roused Hailey from her thoughts.

"Hey, Kim," she smiled sweetly in the direction of her colleague, with whom she shared a desk.

"How're you doing today?" Kim asked quietly, almost meeting Hailey's eyes.

"I'm here," Hailey replied, trying to keep her tone neutral. She knew Kim was just being kind, as she always was with Hailey. She was glad to be partnered with her; but she'd be lying if she said it didn't make her miss her original partner even more.

_Wish you were here, Jay_. She sighed, pulling out her memo book to get started on those reports that had been sitting on her desk since yesterday. She saw that Kim followed suit, getting busy with her paperwork until the rest of the boys arrived for the work day.

"Good Morning ladies," Adam's voice carried up the stairs, so he was heard before he was seen. Kevin followed behind him, giving a 'Sup' type nod to both Kim and Hailey.

"Hey," Kim and Hailey said in unison, sharing a small smile at the simultaneous answers.

Ruzek and Atwater took their seats, and Voight came upstairs with Platt to announce the details of an important new case.

"I just got word from Med. Another kid has died from that deadly outbreak. And since we don't know what's causing it yet, they've called a Code Silver, which means that no one gets in or out of the building. We have got to find the source of the bacteria strain before more victims drop!"

"I've got your assignments here," Platt continued, passing out papers to each team. Hailey and Kim were due to talk to Veronica Kim, a grad student who worked alongside their first victim, Samuel Larsen. Adam and Kevin were supposed to track Larsen's last known movements via cell towers and socials. Meanwhile, Platt and Voight were needed at a debriefing with Sharon Goodwin and Chief Boden, as the citizens of Chicago were understandably freaked out by this supposed epidemic.

_What a world_, Hailey thought to herself as she grabbed her jacket and headed out with Kim.

* * *

Jay couldn't believe it had really been thirty days since Garrett had kidnapped him. He also couldn't believe he'd survived this long too. Yes, he'd had worse living conditions while overseas, but this, for what it was, was ridiculous, not to mention slightly cruel.

Miniscule scraps of food, barely enough water, and not even a drop of sympathy from his captor. What a jackass. Jay shook his head, sighing as his wrists were itching like crazy from where the zip ties had rubbed them raw.

Sure, Garrett would take them off occasionally, but only when the situation absolutely required it. Then he'd be tied right back up, forced to sit (or stand) in that dark and damp room for hours on end.

Unsurprisingly, he hadn't run out of memories of Hailey yet, as he could keep dreaming them up if he had to. Her gorgeous smile, her wave of golden blonde hair, her sarcastic tone of voice when she one-upped him, which was often. He missed those things terribly. He was in the midst of remembering another moment when Garrett interrupted him.

"Your old teams on the news, buddy," Garrett snarked, not even bothering to acknowledge the irony behind his statement. He and Jay were far from buddies, and he knew that. "Seems like they're in the midst of that viral outbreak. Sucks to be them right now."

Jay looked at him confused. "What do you mean?"

"Just heard that one of them was taken to Med, special circumstances via quarantine, I guess. I don't know, I didn't bother to listen to the whole news segment on my drive over here."

"Why even tell me then, huh?"

"It's fun to play these mind games with you, man," Garrett chuckled, sinking down to face Jay. "Besides, since I haven't had to kick your ass since the first day, where else am I gonna get my digs in?"

"You're such a piece of––"

"Ah, ah," Garrett warned. "I wouldn't." He wagged his finger for effect, and Jay briefly wondered if there was any way to dismember it from his hand, just so Garrett could feel a fraction of the pain Jay felt now.

Garrett's phone rang, and he tugged it out of his back pocket, reading something off it. "Oh, this is…this is perfect." He let out a dry laugh, to which he was met with another confused look from his prisoner.

"Looks like karma came for Hailey after all. One of my friends at Med just told me your brother admitted her into quarantine."

"You're lying," Jay quickly accused, not wanting to believe that awful truth.

"Nope," he declared. "This time, I'm not. Hopefully your brother's smarter than you are, or else Hailey's in big trouble…"

"Jackass," Jay muttered under his breath.

"What? What was that?"

"Nothing." Jay ground out, gritting his teeth so hard he thought they'd be stuck that way forever.

"That's what I thought. See ya around Halstead. Maybe I'll keep Hailey company for you in the meantime..."

He slammed the door shut before he could hear Jay's curses and screams for him to stay the hell away. And Jay knew it too, laying back down on the ground, hating that Garrett could very well do, or say, whatever he wanted. And there wasn't a damn thing Jay could do to stop him.

* * *

Hailey hated hospitals. Fucking hated them with every fiber of her being. And yet here she was, the third time in not even 3 months she was admitted to one. "Dammit," she cursed as Natalie pulled out the needle with which she took blood.

Kim grimaced at Hailey, who tried to keep her face calm. She didn't hate needles as much as she knew Jay did, but she still didn't like the sight of her own blood being guided through one.

"I'm done now, I promise." Natalie reassured, before collecting the other two tubes. She left the two detectives alone for a moment.

"Hailey, I'm so sorry I didn't go in with you. Had I known Veronica was infected, I would've had your back!"

"Kim, you had to take that call from Voight. It's _okay_," Hailey told her for the thousandth time. "Then it could've been the both of us here right now."

"Still," Kim said, ducking her head. "I'm sorry."

"I know. And I appreciate it." Hailey said, giving her a small smile.

Kim gently tapped Hailey's shoulder, before going to call the rest of the unit to update them about Hailey's condition.

Hailey sighed, waiting for Will to whisk her away to the quarantine unit. She was going to be under observation until they figured out if she was in fact contagious. _That's just fucking fantastic_.

She supposed she'd rather have physical pain right now though. It would be a welcome relief from the heavy emotional shit she'd been dealing with over the last three weeks. Her transfer order out of Robbery-Homicide and into Intelligence had gone over well, except for when she told Garrett, who about flipped his shit.

"_Why?" _

"_Because I can't do this anymore." _

"_What?" _

"_This, Garrett! Pretend like I can just be normal without him. I can't, and if being in a new environment is what'll help me feel better, then that's what I'm gonna do." _

"_So, this is about Jay, again? Jesus Hailey, when are you gonna let that go?" _

"_LET IT GO?!" She had screamed at him. "You're such an arrogant asshole, you know that!" And with that, she left, thankful that she was going to get away from Garrett and all his bullshit. She didn't want to be around that toxicity anymore. Her heart couldn't handle his negativity. _

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of Will's voice. "Hi Hailey. It's time."

"Alright," she breathed. "Let's do this."

She was wheeled over to the unit, and instructed to sit behind the plastic confinements until the rest of her tests results were in. She did as she was told. As members of the unit came to visit her, she couldn't help but focus on who _wasn't_ there. She could hear his voice now, telling her how crazy it was that she'd go in alone. She chuckled to herself, shaking her head.

"What's so funny?" A young girl asked from next door. Hailey found out her name was Amanda.

"Nothing," Hailey said, smiling again. "Just thinking of someone special."

"Are they waiting for you once you get out of here?" Amanda innocently asked.

"Yeah," Hailey admitted. "They are."

* * *

Jay wasn't one to give up so easily. Garrett had underestimated that about him. He knew it wasn't the smartest idea, but given his limited mobility, not to mention limited options, he went for it anyway.

He had carefully worked his legs up into a position where they could reach the door handle. He tried to finagle it with his foot, slipping it between the handle and the frame. He tried to curl his toes around the handle, pulling on it as hard as he could. It didn't budge.

Defeated, he moved back into his original position. He knew he couldn't knock it in the other way. _Plus, your shoulder, you moron_, he chastised. He groaned because as if on cue, a pain from his bullet wound flowed down his entire arm.

He fought through it, and continued to think of a way to get out. While he had gotten used to Garrett being gone during the day, as he still worked in Robbery-Homicide, he hadn't gotten used to his coming around at night. He'd sometimes check in on Jay, and the two wouldn't even speak, just acknowledge the presence of each other with a glance or nod. Other times, he'd stand outside the door, and Jay could hear bits and pieces of conversations he presumed Garrett was having with Booth, as the words 'drugs' came up way too often for it to be anything else.

Jay shook his head, remembering how much he wanted to kill Booth that night of New Year's Eve. He thought he could never hate a person more; but he proved himself wrong with Garrett. He still couldn't believe the gall of that guy: telling him Hailey was infected by the virus.

There was no way – no one in Intelligence would put themselves out there like that. At least, he hoped they wouldn't. Course, he also knew Voight's team, and he definitely knew Hailey. She was stubborn, much like himself. So, if anyone were to sacrifice themselves in some way, it was probably going to be her.

_Damn her and her good heart_, he thought. _Please be okay, Hailey_. _I can't lose you, too._

* * *

The words "Clear" had never sounded sweeter to Hailey's ears than they had in that moment. Will Halstead had just broken the good news to her, and she jumped up so fast you'd have thought she'd won the lottery or something.

She smiled at Amanda, giving her a fist bump through the plastic. "You got this, kid." The girl smiled back at her, and while Hailey hated to leave her at such a vulnerable time, she had a job to do. She promised Amanda she'd be back ASAP if she needed, to which the girl smiled appreciatively.

"Thank you, Hailey. That guy's lucky to have someone like you in his life."

She felt fresh tears prick her eyes, but she pushed them back. She smiled back at Amanda. "Thanks, Amanda. You're gonna meet someone like that too one day. But for right now, focus on getting better and getting out of there, okay?"

She watched Amanda nod her head. Hailey reciprocated, before she followed her sergeant back to the district. She had a case to finish solving.

When she arrived back at the 21st, she was greeted by hugs and cheers for her safe return. She hugged her colleagues back, grateful to be discharged so she could get back to work. They had a suspect now, at least they had caught them on video. The blue pick-up truck tip from earlier had paid off.

Dr. David Seldon was their man. All they had to do now was find him.

Intelligence searched high and low for any sign of Seldon, only to discover he had been assigned to the CDC's taskforce for the viral outbreak. They started at Med; as the code silver had been lifted once the quarantine unit was set up. Dr. Goodwin took them back to the lab, but Seldon was nowhere to be found.

They struck out there and at his ex-wife's house, but one tip finally paid off. BRT HQ was holding their budgetary meeting, and Seldon had planned to have his research funded by them before they rejected his proposal. They had their connection, but could they get to him before time ran out?

They had to move fast, but they were successful in bringing Seldon down. Thank god, Hailey thought, as it made her very nervous to watch her boss have to face off with the crazed doctor. She and Adam were ready with their long guns though, successfully firing distraction rounds into the ceiling, before Kevin and Kim took him out for good.

It was after all of this Hailey announced that she could use a drink. She expected some of the team to join her, but surprisingly, the only one she found herself meeting up with at Molly's was Adam. Not like she minded, as she had gotten to know him second to Kim. He seemed chill enough where she figured she could just say or do whatever, and he wouldn't make a deal of it. Which was honestly what she needed after such an insane case.

"So, cheers….to making it out alive?" She tried, giggling at how stupid that sounded. Adam clinked his beer with hers anyway, and the two sipped on their alcohol while contemplating what to say next.

"Hailey, I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but–"

She cut him off, the response "That's a terrible way to start a sentence," on the tip of her tongue. When she remembered the last time she said that phrase, she clammed right back up, which allowed Adam to finish his own sentence.

"–just know that I'm here if you ever do want to talk about it. Jay was the best partner I had in a while. He was a good guy, all-around. You didn't get many people of his caliber anymore. Not in our line of work, anyhow."

Hailey nodded, taking in his very correct words. Jay was the best guy, that she knew deeply. "Yeah, he was the best."

"I'm sorry you lost him," Adam offered, looking at her with soft eyes. They weren't the same as Jay's, in color nor gentleness, but she knew he was trying. And for that she let herself feel a glimmer of something other than sadness. Nostalgia, she supposed, if she had to pinpoint the feeling.

"I just– god, I miss him so much, you know? I never even…" She sniffled, fighting against the tears that were threatening to spill. "I never even got to say goodbye."

"I'm sorry, Hailey. You're not alone in that, just know. None of us got the proper end with him either."

"I'm sorry," she tried, feeling like a jerk for monopolizing the conversation. It wasn't all about her; he was right….she wasn't the only one who lost someone. Intelligence had lost a dear friend and co-worker in Jay Halstead. She had a right to respect that more than she was doing right now. "I know how much he meant to you guys too."

"Yeah. There was never a dull moment with him, that's for sure. He kept me from going off the rails more times than I can count. He was just so _good _at being good, if that makes any sense." He took a big swig of his beer, flagging down Hermann for another.

"It does, I think." She answered, finishing off her bottle too. They ordered another round, and soon two became three, which became four, and then five. By six, Adam was singing along – loudly, and off-tune – to "Sweet Caroline," which made Hailey howl with laughter at how bad he was. But it was the first time she had laughed in a long while. And she didn't hate it.

The only thing she hated herself for was the morning after Molly's, when she woke up in her own bed, with the hangover from hell. The thing was: she wasn't alone. And that's what hurt her heart the most.


	15. Time Passes: Part 2

Her head was pounding, but her heart still hurt more. She turned her head too fast as she sat up in bed, trying to find her shirt. She heard Adam stir next to her, before the first words out of his mouth made her chuckle.

"I don't have pants."

She nodded in the direction of his side of the floor, where they had probably been discarded.

"Ah, thank you."

They each tugged on another layer of clothing before facing one another. The next words out of Adam's mouth confused her.

"I didn't know you went to the University of Chicago."

She glanced back to where he was looking, at the chair where her old college sweatshirt was. "Yeah," she shrugged. "My dad wanted me to be a lawyer." She gave another shrug, realizing that was the first time she had talked so casually about her father. She felt that familiar jab in her chest when she remembered with whom she _first_ discussed her father.

Ruzek's voice brought her from her thoughts. "So, how do you wanna play this?"

The words were automatic. "Like low-key, no one finds out about this one-time deal, low-key."

He nodded, seeming to understand. They finished getting dressed for the day before Adam insisted on driving her to work. Who was she to say no to a free ride? 

"Adam, Hailey, nice of you to join us." Voight's greeting echoed across the bullpen.

"Sorry, traffic." Adam excused.

"Yeah," Hailey whispered in agreement, still keeping her eyes down.

They took their seats at their respective desks: Adam with Kevin and Hailey with Kim. Voight reiterated their duties for the day: surveillance of a known drug boss, Ramôn Garcia. His crew had been laying low for a while, but with the new string of OD's in the West Loop, Voight figured he'd come out of hiding to find new customers.

"Hailey, Kim, you guys are sitting tight on the outside. Adam, Kevin, you guys are on the inside. Got it? Simple observe and report, no contact. Am I clear?"

"Yes," was the unison reply.

"Good. Let's go to work."

A little while later, Hailey was about ready to rip her hair out of boredom. Ramon and his men hadn't made one solitary move all night.

"God damn, why didn't we get pizza before we started our post?" She whined to Kim, who laughed next to her.

"Because _you_ insisted on being prompt," she teased.

"Well, smack some sense into me next time, would you?"

"I have another protein bar if you want it," Kim offered, rifling around in the glove box.

"Fine," Hailey relented, her stomach growling so loud she thought she'd cry. "And thanks."

"Sure," Kim said, before her eyes widened and her binoculars met the bridge of her nose. "We got eyes," she radioed. "Ramon's on the move. Getting into a black SUV, no plates."

"Do not engage," Voight's command rang out over the radio.

"Hailey!" Kim screamed as the blonde sped off in their car. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"I'm not engaging, I'm following," she countered, not looking at Kim.

"Hailey, you heard Voight! We don't have backup because I didn't get a chance to call it in!"

"No one's stopping you now," she quipped, making a sharp left-hand turn.

"5021 Frank, requesting backup on South Glendale Blvd. In pursuit of suspect in black SUV heading north, no plates. I repeat, no plates."

"5021 Ida, responding," Kim thankfully heard Kevin's voice over the radio, which meant at least he and Adam were en route. She was sure Voight was close behind. She let out a breath, which was ultimately rammed back into her throat as she herself was thrown back against the car seat.

"Dammit," Hailey cursed, as she had derailed off the road a little after attempting another series of sharp turns. "We lost him!" She banged her hands against the steering wheel multiple times, a scream startling Kim.

"Hailey…" she started, to which she was abruptly stopped.

"Don't."

"Alright, fine. But I'm here if you need. And you seem like you need something…or someone to talk to."

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

Kim eyed her partner once more, before getting out of the vehicle to meet up with Voight and the rest of the team.

"You guys alright?"

"Physically yes, but mentally, I don't know where Hailey's head's at, Sarge."

Voight patted her shoulder, understanding what Kim meant. "Alright, let's get you both to Med regardless, just for a check. Then maybe we can see if Hailey will open up to Dr. Charles or hell, even Will."

Kim nodded, walking back over to inform Hailey of their next moves. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

She had to laugh. Back at Med once again. She was letting out a dry chuckle when she was greeted with the sight of Will Halstead, Jay's brother.

"Hailey," he said, and if she closed her eyes, she could almost pretend it was Jay's voice. "What happened?"

"I'm fine. Voight's just flipping for nothing. Told me I had to talk with Dr. Charles, so here I am."

"That might be a good idea," Will tried, holding his hands up defensively when Hailey shot him a glare. "Or not."

"I'm fine, Will." She insisted, running a hand through her hair.

"Hailey, it's me you're talking to here. Even I'm not fine most days. He was my _brother_, you know?"

"I know," she whispered, her voice catching in her throat as she chanced it to look at Will. His eyes were sad, and she knew why, because her eyes were welling up with tears just the same.

"I'm sorry," she said, and he sat down next to her, being there while she let a few tears slip. "I know you loved him."

"Yeah, as did you. It's okay that you miss him."

She sniffled, shocked by the ease with which he uttered that statement. "Of course, I loved him, he was my partner."

Will grabbed them each tissues, but Hailey didn't miss the knowing glance he shot in her direction. She threw him one back, and he smirked, dismissing himself when Dr. Charles showed up at Hailey's door.

"Hi Hailey," Daniel said.

"Hi."

"You ready?"

"No. But I don't really have a choice now, do I?"

"Every moment's full of choices Hailey. You could choose to walk out those doors right now and never come back. But it's the consequences of those choices that are harder for people to think about."

She sighed, knowing he had a point. "Fine, but I don't know how talkative I'll be."

"Just be present, Hailey. That's all I ask."

She nodded, following him back to his office. _Here goes nothing_…

"Hailey, I know you lost Jay, who was your partner on this last case you were working. Do you wanna tell me about that?"

"Not really, no."

"Okay, well what about Jay? Do you wanna tell me about him?"

"You've known him for years, haven't you?" She asked, quirking her brow.

"Sure," Dr. Charles said slowly, tapping his pen. "But not like you know him. Getting to know someone through the eyes of someone else is actually quite fascinating."

Hailey fought an eye roll, but gave in. She'd have to talk sometime. "Jay was the best. In every way. And I just wish–" she choked on her breath, wishing the tears hadn't decided to come back now.

"Wish what? That he knew that? Of course, he did, Hailey. You guys were partners." Dr. Charles said.

"But I never told him–" she tried, but she froze, realizing what the actual word was she was trying to articulate. Love. She never told Jay that she loved him. And that's what was eating her up inside.

"Told him what? How you felt? Well, let me ask you this, did you show him?"

"What?"

"Did you show Jay you cared for him?"

"Sure, of course. We laughed, and talked, and kissed. We were just always so in-sync."

"Okay," he started, drawing out his words again. "So, how's that any different from say, telling someone you love them?

"I–" she thought she had an answer on the tip of her tongue, but she closed her mouth instead.

Dr. Charles smiled. "You see, Hailey…sometimes actions can say more than words ever can. Just remember that, okay?"

She nodded, a strange sense of calm washing over her at the new knowledge she held. "Thanks."

Daniel nodded, leading her back out to the Med lobby. "I'm around Hailey. Don't be a stranger."

She shook her head once more, before zipping up her jacket and going back out into reality. Maybe he was right. Jay had to have known how she felt. She showed him how much she loved him in many ways…she bit her lip as she felt her cheeks warm at their one night they did spend together.

As she looked up though, she was met with the last person she ever expected to see standing by her car.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Just give me one minute," Garrett pleaded.

"Why?" Hailey spat, digging in her pocket for her keys. She unlocked her car door, but Garrett still didn't move. "Garrett, now's not the time."

"I just wanted to see how you were."

She scoffed. "Yeah, right. Like you care. Just get out of here, Garrett. Go home, okay? I'm fine."

She tried to move him out of the way, but he surprised her by gripping her arm harshly. Her eyes met his, and for once she was a little frightened of how much heat they held. Like he was mad….at her.

"Garrett," she tried, searching his face. "Let go, please."

It was like a light switched on, or off, Hailey wasn't too sure at the moment. Either way, he was literally shaken from his daze, and finally released his grip on her arm. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

She took her chance and hopped into her car, turning on the ignition and driving away before he even had a chance to call her name.

_What the hell was that about_?

* * *

A low cry of frustration jostled Jay from his sleep. He recognized Garrett's tenor, hating that he kept coming back here. Like what? Jay was going to escape at any moment. How could he? It'd been a month and a half; somehow by the grace of God, Garrett had gotten one of his low-life friends that was a "doctor" to remove the bullet from Jay's shoulder; yet that was the only contact with another person he'd had since he'd been here.

"God dammit!" Garrett's yell travelled down the hall to Jay's door, which was promptly thrown open. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"_Me_?" Jay asked incredulously, not believing his ears. What the hell could he have possibly done by _sitting here_?

"You've gotten into her head, man. And here I thought she'd at least be able to talk to me by now! I mean, my god, 6 fucking weeks is a long time…" Garrett sighed, tugging on his hair with his hands.

"What're you talking about?"

"Hailey, you idiot."

If his shoulder still didn't hurt like a son of a bitch, he would've decked Garrett right then. He stewed silently instead, letting him rant on.

"She wouldn't even talk to me. Like she's so fucking entitled to feel everything but not let people in to help her. She let Adam in, you know?" He paused, a maniacal grin spreading over his face at the reminder that Jay didn't know Hailey had shacked up with Adam, not once, but a couple times now, if he had to guess.

"Right," he began, turning to face Jay. "You don't know."

"What are you going on about, Garrett?"

"Hailey and Adam. They're together now. She'll apparently fuck that Neanderthal, but not talk to me–"

"_Hey_," Jay ground out, gritting his teeth. He hated how demeaning Garrett was to Hailey or about her. _No wonder she didn't want to talk to him_.

"Oh, give it a rest, Halstead. Like you didn't do her while you two were _literally_ sleeping together."

His silence spoke volumes to Garrett, who had the audacity to laugh at the admission. "Wow, I am actually surprised."

"Why's that? She still wouldn't be with you, man. She _hated_ you."

"Watch it," Garrett said, before backhanding Jay.

He winced at the pain that radiated from his cheek. He shook his head, looking up at Garrett in disgust. "You really are a piece of work, aren't you?"

Garrett turned, walking out of the room without dignifying Jay's semi-rhetorical question with a response.

* * *

"You sure you're good?" Adam asked her for the millionth time. Hailey sighed as she pulled back her pool stick. She hit the red ball, but it bounced off the side, missing both the green and blue ones she was aiming for. _Dammit_.

"Well, thanks for that." She deadpanned, tossing him the cue.

"Sorry," he said, trying to get her to smile, but it failed. She just wasn't into it right now, the whole, talking, carrying on, acting like things were– god forbid – good.

A few hits later and Adam had won the game, or so Hailey let him think. She'd forfeited a long time ago, wanting it to be over sooner rather than later.

"That was fun, Hails," he said, lazily wrapping his arm around her as they headed for the door of Molly's.

"Mhmm," she said, and as they made it to his car, she stopped, pushing him against it to kiss him. Her hands were running rampant over his body, their breaths coming out in short spurts. She kept her eyes closed, trying to remember what _he_ tasted like instead. She knew it was wrong, but she couldn't help it.

She wished Adam's tanned muscular frame was Jay's freckled, toned one. She wished his dirty blonde boy band hair was replaced with a shorter-cropped cut of brown curls, if you got lucky enough to be that close. She wished his untamed brown eyes were his caring green ones. She wished with all her might, and yet, when she did open her eyes, she was faced to face with reality. And the truth hit her like a ton of bricks.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, trying to get him to stop. Adam had undone the first few buttons of her own plaid shirt, but she grabbed onto his hands, making him stop indefinitely. "I can't do this."

"Do what? _This_? Hailey, no one's saying we have to," he said, his voice laced with pure confusion. She couldn't blame him. It's not his fault he wasn't who she really wanted him to be.

"I know," she said, nodding furiously and running a hand over her mouth before it made its way into her hair. She noticed Adam's hand did the same thing along the back of his neck. "But it's more than that, isn't it?"

She caught his eyes once more, and she saw that flicker of understanding, of the truth he couldn't avoid. He nodded, pulling her into a light hug before whispering, "I'm not him" into her hair. She stiffened at the harsh bomb that had been dropped, but quickly relaxed as she felt relieved to have it out in the open.

"I'm sorry, Adam."

"Me too, Hailey."

* * *

**A/N: **** And that's part two of the Hailey-centric POV. I only have a couple chapters left, I think. But thanks for sticking with me through the long pauses in updates guys, I sincerely appreciate it! Hope this chapter was enjoyable for you all. Can't wait to see what happens for Upstead in this next episode!**


	16. I'll Be Seeing You

It had been a week since Hailey's fling with Adam ended, and she was actually bouncing back quite well, all things considered. Hell, she even visited Dr. Charles a second time, as she was having these very vivid dreams of Jay, the accident, all of it. So much so that they kept her up at night, or caused her to break out in a cold sweat when she did finally wake up.

_So, tell me about these dreams, Hailey._

_I don't know. They're not quite memories, because it's just like, him…Jay I mean, standing there. And sometimes, it's like me running to him, but then it all goes up in smoke. And poof, that's it. He's gone again. Other times, it's a reimagining I think of the day he was killed. It's like I can see him, before, you know, and then it just flashes to Garrett holding me back, and I'm crying all over again. Then I wake up, and I'm either really crying, or in a state of shock, cause it felt so real. _

_Alright. So, Hailey, what it sounds like you're experiencing are lucid dreams, where you're actually aware that you're dreaming these scenarios, whether they be real-life or not. The presence of Garrett in one of them does strike me as odd. Why is he in your dream? Was he actually there the day of the murder?_

_Yeah, he was. He was the one who found Jay. Er, well, I found him, but Garrett held me back, as it was too gruesome for me to handle. He was shot point blank range by Ron Booth, the guy we were under trying to catch. _

_And did they catch Booth? _

_Hailey paused, the question coming like a surprise, for what reason, she wasn't sure. _

_You know, I actually don't know the answer to that. Garrett had said he was running point with my old sergeant, Max Anderson. But then I transferred out of Robbery-Homicide because I needed a change of pace, environment. _

_Ah, I see. And did Garrett stay in touch with you about Booth? _

_Her brows furrowed. Now that she thought about it, no. He hadn't. Interesting. _

_Um, you know, now that I think about it. He hasn't been keeping in the loop. Dr. Charles, do you mind if we cut this one short? I wanna go talk to Garrett and my old sergeant. Maybe they just didn't want to tell me that they had captured Booth because they were worried I'd go off on him, or something, I don't know. But I wanna find out. _

_Alright, Hailey. Dr. Charles said, dismissing her from the session. _

When she arrived outside her old unit, she took a deep breath before barging in the double doors. "Hey Hailey," Cara's voice was the first one she heard. "What're you doing here?"

"I need to see Max. Is he in?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Thanks."

She knocked carefully on the door, to which she heard a come in. She came face to face with her sergeant, but someone else was also in the chair across from him. _Of course_.

"Hailey–"

"I'll come back." She stammered, turning quickly to remove herself before she punched Garrett in the face or threw him against the wall and demanded answers.

"No, that's alright," Garrett said smoothly. "I was done."

She nodded, and as he brushed past her, she could've sworn she knew that scent on him. From where she couldn't quite remember, and she didn't have much time to rack her brain as Max had her sit.

"What can I do for you Hailey?"

"I wanted to know why you or Garrett haven't been keeping me in the loop about Booth."

"I–" Max said, pulling a few files out from his desk. "Hailey, I apologize. Garrett told me he's been in communication with you this whole time. He had some old intel, and he talked to his old CI's. But nothing popped. Until we saw Booth bought an airplane ticket for Mexico. But when we raided the airport, he never showed. So, he either played us, or he was never planning on leaving. Either way, he's still in the wind."

Hailey squeezed her eyes shut, finally remembering where she had first came into contact with that specific scent that was on Garrett's jacket. _Jay_. But why would he have Jay's scent on him…unless….

_No_, it couldn't be that easy, could it? She realized she hadn't said anything for a solid minute to Max. "Sorry, Max. Yes, thank you for the update. Do you know where Garrett was headed?"

"He had to meet with a CI, off the books. Said he'd be back in an hour. Why?"

"No reason. Thanks!" Hailey said as she practically sprinted back down the stairs. She needed to put two and two together – but for that to happen, she needed help. She pulled out her phone from her pocket, dialing like the wind.

"Voight."

"Hey, it's me. I need your help."

* * *

"What do we got here, Hailey?" Hank asked, the white board blank and pen ready in his hand.

"Alright, well I'm 95% sure that Garrett knows where Ronald Booth is. And I'm also pretty damn sure that Garrett may have had something to do with what happened to Jay."

"What makes you say that?" Adam genuinely asked, a little confused as usual. Kevin forced Adam's hand down, rolling his eyes before motioning at Hailey to continue.

"Well, that's the thing, is I don't know for sure 100%. That's why I need your help in putting it all together."

"Alright, well, let's start with what we know," Voight offered.

Hailey turned to Kim, who came up to tape each photo that was needed to the white board. One was of Jay, the other two were of Garrett and Ron. Voight began scribbling down their stats, while Kim handed Hailey her notepad.

"During the whole undercover op, Garrett was acting shady. I mistakenly defended him at first, but then, the better I got to know Jay, the more I trusted when he said something wasn't right with Garrett. Not to mention, he – Garrett, I mean, – was being a total asshat for no reason at times….yelling at us, calling off plans, changing the game up on us. Like he always wanted to have the upper hand."

"Okay, so then how does that lead us to Jay's….death?" Kevin said a little sheepishly in the background.

"Wait, Hailey, are you saying you think Garrett killed Jay?" Kim asked.

She nodded, but she could feel the whole team's eyes on her as she wrote a question mark by Jay's TOD. "I don't know for sure. Because if Jay saw something he wasn't supposed to in that motel, or heard something, maybe Garrett freaked out. I don't know. But one thing I know for sure is that he'd been with Jay more recently than 6 weeks ago, so unless he's stashed a thing of peppermint somewhere, the scent I caught earlier was inherently Jay."

Voight nodded, seeming to put it together. "So, couple that with your suspicions on Booth's whereabouts, and you're thinking Garrett's been playing everyone from the get?"

"Exactly."

"But don't we need more than that before we can get the SOB?" Adam asked.

Hank nodded once again, as did Hailey.

"That's why I'm gonna meet with him. It'll be a controlled meet, but I have to go in alone. If it's just me, I think I can get him to trust me, or, at the very least, slip up."

"Hailey, wait, if he's really our guy, isn't he dangerous?" Kim asked worriedly.

Hailey twisted her lips up, before looking at Kim. "Yeah. But if it means Jay's out there somewhere, I wanna bring him home. You guys deserve that."

Kim gave Hailey a small smile, and everyone else in the room seemed to understand the importance of this specific mission. They had one goal: catch Garrett; find Jay.

Hailey just hoped she could do both and still make it out alive.

* * *

_I should really start going to church again_, Jay thought as he made his first miraculous discovery. In all his haste to leave quickly, Garrett hadn't locked the deadbolt on the door.

He'd been nicking a piece of scrap metal against a rock for the last 2 hours Garrett was gone; and he had almost managed to make it sharp enough to cut through the ties that bound his wrists.

He scraped against the plastic, not quite understanding how it could cause so much friction against your skin. He hissed as he felt himself jab his wrist accidently with the pick. _Shit_. He felt the warmth of blood trickle down his hand, but he could tell it wasn't a deep cut. It couldn't have been, the metal wasn't corroded or anything like that. Sharp enough to break free, but not sharp enough to kill. He tried to keep that random thought in the back of his mind in case Garrett happened to return sooner than expected.

He let out a sigh of relief when he heard the tell-tale crack of plastic. He didn't have time to assess his wrists right now, he just wanted to get the hell out of here. He leapt up for the door, making a mad dash towards it, ready to knock it down with everything he had.

One hit wasn't enough, and after 3, his good shoulder was starting to feel just as bad as the one he'd actually had a bullet removed from. "Dammit," he cursed. He tried to think of something to lift his spirits a little, at least enough for one more go. _Do it for Hailey_.

He took a deep breath before going for the door one more time, and by some grace of God or he didn't know what, it burst wide open. He thanked God that the adrenaline kicked in, overpowering the intense pain in his shoulder. He made a run for the first hallway, praying it would be easier to get out of here than it was to get out of that ridiculous room.

He had to stop a couple of times, once to catch his breath, but another time because he thought for sure he heard footsteps. He peered down the opposite end of the hall, but saw no signs of anyone else around. So, he kept moving, creeping quietly along the wall's edge.

He turned a few more corners until he finally saw the literal light at the end of the tunnel, as a dimly lit lamp shown near a pull-down contraption for makeshift stairs. _Great_, he thought as he tugged it down to his level. He carefully made his way upward, not really caring where in the world he ended up, as long as he was _out_.

It took a minute to navigate his surroundings, but once he felt the cool Chicago air whip his face, he knew he was finally freed from the underground bunker. He took off down the alleyway he assumed he was in, as it was darker than he thought. His eyes took a second to adjust to the lack of natural light, as he continued to run down the dirt road.

He reached a clearing in the road, where it split off into two directions, each following a separate side of the sidewalk. At least he knew he was still in the city of Chicago…although from where he could guess, it must be the South Side. Hell, even deep in Pilsen? He wasn't entirely sure.

It was only then that he saw the bright blue and red lights he'd come to know like the back of his hand. So, he ran until he could reach it.

* * *

Hailey couldn't believe she'd been so stupid. Maybe she deserved this…having to spend her hours watching Garrett like a hawk, all the while, still worrying about Jay's fate. If he really was gone. Or if there was somehow, someway, to get him back.

She sighed, as Kim grabbed the binoculars again. "Hailey," she tapped her shoulder. "He's moving again."

So far, they'd followed Garrett to Pilsen Pizzeria, to a hardware store, and an outerwear shop. Hailey was getting so sick and tired of this. They should've had some clue as to where Jay was by now; but no, not a damn thing.

They watched as Garrett made movements to walk out the door, rather quickly for coming out of a pizza joint. He had just gotten into his car, and Hailey was tempted to blare the sirens, as she couldn't stand letting him get away again. If she had, she'd make up a fucking charge to come at him with.

Apparently, her instinct was right, as she saw something, or rather…someone out of the corner of her eye.

Somebody was…running towards the police? Well, that was a first. Whoever they were, they were still across the street, but running towards the intersection where you could cross over to the other side.

Kim had gotten out of the passenger side of their car, and was slowly making her way around the back of the vehicle. Hailey had done the same, each placing their hands on their weapons, just in case.

She squinted, the nightlight making it difficult to make out any distinguishing characteristics. That was until the street lamps clicked on over the pathways. Hailey gasped, feeling goosebumps erupt all over her body.

_There's no way, is there?_ Only one way to find out.

"Jay!" She called to the mystery person. She could've sworn she heard the start of her name, or maybe a "Hey" or "Help," when a semi ran through the "SLOW TRAFFIC" sign. It blocked their views for 7 seconds, but that was enough for the image Hailey saw to be wiped clean from her memory. As if it…..as if _he_ was never even there.

_How could I actually have thought? _She shook her head, looking at Kim, who was equally as baffled by the encounter. _What a fucking day, _Hailey thought as she reluctantly climbed back into her police cruiser, Kim following suit.

There wasn't any sign of Jay ever being there…and the likelihood that her theory could be right? She had no idea…but she still hadn't gotten Garrett alone yet. And she knew she needed that before she could even consider the possibility of Jay being alive.

* * *

_I take back what I said about church_, Jay so childishly thought, as he was thrashing around in Garrett's grasp, trying to get away.

"Nice try, Halstead, I'll give you that." Garrett snickered, before chloroforming Jay with a rag, sending him down for the count.

When he awoke, he was _chained_ up, back in the same spot he had so desperately wanted out from. Garrett sat in front of him, smacking his face, apparently not convinced he was awake enough yet.

"I'm up," Jay griped, which only made Garrett's grin grow wider.

"Good. I got to admit, you got guts. But did you really think I'd be that stupid?"

"What're you talking about?"

"Oh, come on now, you're a detective, I bet you can figure it out…" Garrett drummed his fingers against his arm, like he was actually waiting for Jay to solve his stupid riddle.

Jay widened his eyes when the realization hit him. He looked at Garrett with the same expression, not even believing he would be that cruel. "You…set it up, didn't you?"

Garrett clapped mockingly. "There you go, nice work, _Detective_."

"Why would you do that?"

"Do you _really_ have to ask?"

"Yeah, because it's not even about the money anymore, is it? Then what is it? Huh? What's got you so bent out of shape?"

"You and Hailey always getting your way. Things should've been different for me, and they will be. Once you two are out of the picture."

"You can't be serious."

"Deadly."

"Look, I know you hate me, and I guess you hate Hailey too. But do whatever you want with me, but please, haven't you put her through enough?"

"She's only known pain; she hasn't known betrayal yet. Which is why I gave you two your little moment up there. So, then you can say you had one before you're both tragically killed."

"Garrett, _please_," Jay wasn't above begging right now. He'd sacrifice anything if it meant saving Hailey.

"It was actually your escape that inspired me, Jay. You were so fucking persistent at getting back to her, I thought, well why not end it like that too? It was originally just going to be your life, but honestly, the bigger picture is that with both of you out of the way, no one will question it. No one's gonna think, oh _two_ of the best detectives went off script, off book, whatever lie I'll sell the bosses. It's perfect."

"You're insane."

"But at least I'm not that cruel…I'm at least letting you die together." Another bitter laugh escaped his lips before he shut the door on Jay again.

Jay didn't even care that he cried that night. Because he wasn't even sad for his life, but that he would cause Hailey to lose hers.

* * *

**A/N: **** Sorry I'm closing this chapter on such an...evil note. Didn't intend for it to be this crazy, but I figured since Garrett was good at manipulation, why not have him go all in? I believe there will be one more chapter after this one, so hang in there guys. I promise, it won't turn out how you think. ;)**


	17. Game of Survival

**A/N:**** I'm back guys! Sorry for the delay (I know, I've said that a lot about this story...but work comes first). Anyhow, I know I had originally said this story would have just one more chapter, but as it turns out, I need a couple. So this is part 1. Part 2 will be coming within the next 24 hours, I PROMISE. Hope you like this one. -K.**

* * *

Hailey splashed some water on her face, looking up at her reflection as the excess dripped off her skin and down the drain. Sometimes she wondered why water couldn't just immediately absorb into your skin; or why feelings couldn't just immediately be pushed away. She supposed they both had one thing in common: you had to smooth it out, making it look prettier on the surface than it actually was.

She patted her face dry with her towel, ignoring the bags under her eyes from lack of sleep. She didn't get but maybe an hour or two, as her head was running wild with every thought imaginable. It wasn't only the what-ifs, but the pure rage at Garrett, for potentially having something to do with the love of her life being gone. It was also fear, if she was being honest, that Jay wasn't actually alive…that her instincts with which she thought she could rely on, were wrong.

She sighed, re-doing her ponytail before she zipped up her jacket. One last glance, and she was out the door to meet Garrett. He insisted on meeting at Pilsen Pizzeria; why, Hailey wasn't sure, but she didn't really care. She was just glad he was willing to meet with her at all. Because the closer she got to Garrett, the closer she could get to Jay. And that's all that mattered.

* * *

Jay too was woken up by water, but not a light self-induced splash from a faucet; no, but a dumping of ice cold water from a bucket.

"Get up!" Garrett's voice rang out overhead. Jay was really starting to hate the way he spoke, but, he did as he was told, shaking the remnants of the water from his face as best he could without the use of his hands. He staggered to his knees, but apparently not fast enough for Garrett, who grabbed him up off the ground and threw him back against the wall.

"Are you listening?" His voice had an edge that Jay hadn't heard since he yelled at him about "turning Hailey against him."

He nodded, worried that if he opened his mouth he'd say something stupid. And with the anger that was emanating from Garrett's gaze, he didn't want to take that chance right now.

"This is the last time you're going to be here alone. Your girlfriend will be joining us soon, she just doesn't know it yet."

"I swear to God, Garrett–" He was struck across the face before he could finish his sentence.

Jay felt his lips curl up against his cheek, tasting the metallic twinge of blood from one of the corners. He couldn't help but scowl at the man that stood in front of him.

"For once in your life, Halstead, you're going to listen." Garrett warned, and Jay saw a glint from something in his jeans pocket. He couldn't quite tell if it was a knife or a gun, but either way, he knew better than to try his luck again.

"You're going to sit here until I get back. Then you'll get to see Hailey…though I'm not sure if she'll be conscious to see you. Depends on how things go. If she plays along, I may let her think she's won. If not, she'll pay just like you did. Potentially worse considering her prudishness is what got me here in the first place."

Jay felt his breath come out in short spurts, almost like a huff, as he felt like his heart was going to leap from his chest. He didn't understand how Garrett could be so…callous about this. He was going to commit cold blooded murder of two Chicago police officers, and he acted as if he'd done it a million times.

He was pulled from his thoughts by a cold laugh off of Garrett's lips. "Don't worry man. I'll be sure to tell you how good she was." He began to turn away when Jay knocked him off his feet by the use of his own legs.

Garrett didn't quite have the crash landing Jay was hoping for, but then again, it wasn't like it was a roundhouse kick.

"You really wanna do this, huh? You must have a death wish." Garrett said, picking himself up off the ground.

"Wouldn't be the first time," Jay said, his blood boiling with every minute that ticked by.

"I'm not gonna waste my energy," Garrett said, shaking his head before walking out. "See you soon, Jay."

Those were the last words he heard before he was left alone once again.

* * *

Hailey tapped her foot incessantly against the tile floor of the pizza joint. _Guess some things never change_, she thought as Garrett was now 15 minutes late.

"Still no sign of Reynolds," she told her team.

"Hold positions," Voight ordered. "Wait to see if we get Halstead, or for Hailey's distress signal."

"Copy," was heard across the channel. Hailey shifted in her seat, crossing her legs for the millionth time.

She heard the ding of the door, and whirled her head around her to find herself face to face with Garrett. He looked unkempt, even more so than usual. He seemed a little wired too, Hailey noticed. He quickly sat down, eyes wide and speech quick as he said his hello.

"Thanks for meeting," she began, looking at him carefully.

"Yeah. What is it?"

"I just wanted to apologize for the way we left things," she said. "I didn't mean to leave so abruptly."

"It's fine," Garrett said, looking around. There were only a few other customers that lingered in the pizzeria, as it was late afternoon, almost the evening.

"So," Hailey tried, reaching out and grabbing for his arm. "I was hoping we could call a truce." She batted her eyelashes a couple times for added effect, hoping it'd throw Garrett off.

She saw his shoulders relax, and the muscle in his arm expanded, like he had let go of some kind of bad energy. _Maybe nervous energy, _Hailey thought, as she watched his eyes not meet hers fully.

"You okay?" She asked.

"Hm?" Garrett replied. "Oh yeah, no I'm good. Sorry, what were you saying?"

"I was just saying I'd like to call a truce…you know, between us. I know I've been so focused on the whole Jay thing, and I know that I'd been so stuck in it that I wasn't exactly fair."

"It's fine, Hailey." His tone was clipped, a little too short for her liking.

_Time for plan B_, she told herself. Play to his insecurity.

"It's just that, you know, he was the love of my life. I know how crazy that sounds, but he was just such a good guy. Sometimes I just really miss him. He was so kind, and he helped me through some things…"

"He's arrogant, if you ask me," Garrett scoffed. "I'm sorry Hailey, but the guy's not who you thought."

_Got him_. He sounded so pissed off, he didn't even notice his slip up yet. Operative word being yet, because as soon as she pressed him, he clammed right back up.

"What do you mean? I know you two didn't get along but,"

"But nothing. He was too much, okay. This is exactly what I mean…you're wrapped up in it,"

"Look," she said, grabbing his hand as he tried to get up. "I'm sorry, okay. That's really all I needed to say. I just had to get that off my chest, I think." She hoped her eyes looked pleading instead of plotting.

They must have, because Garrett's expression softened up too. "It's fine, Hailey." He ran a hand through his hair, pulling his phone out of his pocket. "Look, I gotta go, but I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Sure," she said. She didn't make a move to get up, wanting him to leave first so she could see where he went.

She watched him in her peripherals, as he fidgeted with his phone for a second. When she went to cross her legs again, she noticed something sticky on her boot. At first, she didn't dare take her eyes off Garrett, but when she realized it wasn't gum, but a piece of paper, she was curious.

She picked it up, noticing it was a label. "B&B Construction. 421 S Racine." _That's just down the street_. She couldn't help but tell her team the establishment's address.

"421 S Racine, yes, it's a construction company, but it's been shut down for 4 years now," Kevin said over the radio. "Why?"

"I don't know just yet," Hailey answered honestly. She really didn't know if it was supposed to be that easy. But regardless, something inside her told herself that she had to at least check it out. "Hold me down there though, alright?"

"Copy."

She got up from her chair and walked out of the pizza place. She made her way down the street, before turning a couple corners. She was now at the start of S Racine, and she carefully walked the gravel pathways and half-done sidewalks until she thought she stood in front of the building. Or, what was left of it.

It was, in fact, abandoned. _More like demolished, ironically_. The sun hadn't quite set yet, so she could still make out the imprint of where the address numbers once were. 4 2 1. _Bingo_.

She crept up towards where she assumed the front once stood, but wasn't entirely sure how to get in. She searched for a minute, trying to find any semblance of an entry point. It wasn't until she stubbed her toe against a big rock that she noticed the makeshift stoned wall and the cellar like door next to it.

She decided that had to be it. She shone her phone's flashlight on it, noticing it wasn't chained up or boarded up like she expected. _Which means it's been opened recently_.

She yanked on it, and sure enough, it opened right up. To what, she wasn't sure, until she shined her flashlight down below. She saw some pieces of cement that she assumed were supposed to be stairs, so she, albeit clumsily, made her way down them.

She had to jump down the last one, and she thankfully landed on her feet as opposed to her butt. She coughed, as she didn't expect the dust to come right up in her face. She swatted at the air, clearing her vision. What the hell was this place?

She didn't turn her feet, but rather swiveled at the waist to get a look at her bearings. There was one hallway, she stood in the center of it, and had to decide whether or not to go left or right. She chose left, making her way down the hall until she reached another cross section. She chose pathway number 2, as it seemed to continue straight.

She had made it down the second hallway when she almost jumped out of her skin. A thump scared her more than it should frighten a cop. Course, in her defense, she was alone down here, practically weaponless, unless you count the pocketknife she hid in the band of her jeans.

She sucked in a breath, trudging on. It wasn't until she saw the literal gleam of light at the end of the tunnel-like hall that she let herself breathe a sigh of relief. Maybe that was it, where she needed to go. She picked up her pace, and sure enough, came face to face with the first door she'd seen in this place since she opened the cellar.

It was however, pitch black inside the room, so even though there was that little bit of light, it didn't help her to make out anything significant. She knew she had to get that door open, but how, she didn't know just yet.

She caught herself smiling at the one story Jay told about how he and Adam made a bet to see who could kick down the most doors in a day's work, so every single raid they did, one of them would insist on being first inside, if only so they could break down the door(s).

Jay won, but only by 1 door, and that was because the last door Adam had sent him almost flat on his face, as it was already unlocked, just closed, therefore when he backed up and rammed it, the force sent him forward instead of the door going backward. Hailey laughed so much at that story, as she couldn't help but imagine that only Ruzek would get himself into that kind of hilarious situation.

_Alright_, she figured, _maybe I can break down a door this time_. She decided to give it all she had, backing up as far as the concrete walls would allow, before going full force into the door itself. She growled out in pain, as she felt the heat run through her shoulder and down her arm. _Fuck_, she cursed under her breath; she didn't know how Jay did this so many times.

_Jay_, her mind echoed his name like a mantra as she found herself gearing up to try it again. She figured maybe she could do some kind of combination kick to send it open, instead of just relying on her shoulder, which now hurt like a son of a bitch.

She let out a long breath before going at it, her foot meeting the door with all the strength she had. She heard something pop, but she honestly wasn't sure if that was her ankle, or the door hinge. She was thankful when she landed steadily on her feet, and saw the door come down that it was the latter.

Even so, she wasn't prepared for the sight that awaited her. No, that, she wasn't sure how to comprehend.

* * *

_Maybe Garrett drugged me_, Jay thought, as he kept hearing these banging sounds on the door. He knew Garrett wasn't back yet, as he would just open said door, not bang on it like a maniac. Course, he wasn't sure _what_ or _who_ was making that sound, and he honestly wasn't sure if he could trust himself to figure it out.

Because of all the times he dreamed of Hailey, he never actually hallucinated her, in front of him. _No_, he reasoned with himself, blinking his eyes rapidly to clear his line of sight. _No way_. He shook his head, as if the motion would somehow rebalance his brain, which he was sure had to be "out of whack." It was the only explanation for what he was experiencing right now.

Because there was no way in hell that Hailey could be here right now. No way. No chance. Right?

But then he started hearing things, and at first, he almost thought he really was given something. But it sounded so close. Too close. The soft tone reached his skin, caressing it like it always had when she spoke his name.

"Jay," it was whisper thin, but he heard it. That _Hailey_ voice. His favorite sound. He forced his eyes closed, opening them back up rapidly; before repeating the process, only slower. It wasn't until he felt the warmth of a hand to his cheek that he put it all together.

It was Hailey. She really was here, in front of him, right now.

"Jay," he heard her voice break that time, and he knew she was crying. "I thought you were dead. I… thought you were dead." She repeated, like she didn't know if he heard her the first time. Or maybe she just couldn't believe she actually believed at one point he was gone.

Whatever it was, that wasn't what fazed Jay. No, what fazed him was the actual word itself: dead. Which he and Hailey would be if they didn't get out of there. And that was what propelled his next words.

"Hailey," he breathed her name a little too harsh, he knew from the way she sighed. "Sorry," he backtracked, but continued on. "But I have to ask you. Did…did anyone follow you here?"

"What? No, I mean, the team's waiting for my all clear to breach or go ahead, but we had to find you first. They're outside at various points. Why?"

"Okay…" he thought for a second. "Did you see Garrett?"

"Yes," she whispered, not looking at him anymore, almost like she was embarrassed.

"No, no," he said, automatically wanting to reach out his hand to hers, but he strained against the chains that held his wrists behind his back. "Not like that. I just meant– did you talk to him today?"

"Yeah, why?" She asked him quizzically.

"Because," and at the sound of that voice they both froze, fixing their gazes above them. "You've led him right to back to you both."


	18. Hold On

Hailey couldn't remember how to breathe, let alone speak or form words. She silently got stood all the way upright from her slightly crouched position. Her eyes went from Garrett, back to Jay, then back to Garrett.

She felt air try to reach her throat, but she choked on it, a tiny bit escaping through her nose in short puffs. At the same time, her eyes filled right back up with tears at the truth staring her right in the face. She just couldn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it.

"You…you did this." She went from a whisper to a slightly raised tone, making sure he knew that she was making a statement rather than asking a question. She knew it was true. All her evidence was right there.

Then, Garrett did something neither she nor Jay expected. He admitted it, albeit in a joking manner. He clapped his hands together a couple times, before saying: "Yeah, I did."

"How could you…I…we trusted you!" She asked, furious and confused.

"_How_? Oh, the how was easy. You being so goddamn trusting made it that much easier for me to go along with it. So, I suppose I owe you a thank you."

"Bastard," Jay muttered under his breath.

Garrett's eyes blazed, fiery and angered. He laid into Jay one more time, but only got one kick in before Hailey threw herself in between the two men.

She fought Garrett off, backing him until his back hit the wall. She just didn't count on his grip being so strong. He had caught her one arm, twisting it painfully behind her back.

She desperately reached with the other hand into the waistband of her jeans, thanking god when her fingers felt the cool metal of the knife. She gripped it tightly, swiping it against his face without a second thought.

It effectively made him let go of her arm, the blow sending him backwards a bit. Hailey still felt the adrenaline pumping through her veins. She knew this wasn't over, but she had to at least free Jay.

She jumped back to where he was, almost reaching his chained arms when his eyes flashed with worry. Before she could even flinch, Garrett had her in his grasp again.

"Get off me!" She screamed, thrashing in his arms.

"Where is it, huh?" Garrett shouted, equally as intense as she did.

"**Get**," she was cut off as she was shoved against the wall. "**Off**!" She screamed as his hands made their way underneath her jacket and shirt. It wasn't until she realized he was reaching around the back of her too that she knew what he was actually doing. Checking for a wire.

Her arms were pinned beneath his weight, but she still fought like hell to get a good grip on her knife again. She had it, until the air was knocked out of her when he kicked her in the stomach. Without her hands to block herself, she was vulnerable to it, she knew. But now wasn't the time for self-deprecation. It was about getting Jay out, so that's what she was going to do.

She had sunk to her knees, coughing at the blow really hurt like hell.

"Damn, the two of you are some of the most annoying people I've ever known," Garrett said, shaking his head at Hailey.

She glared at him, before her eyes widened at the gleam of a gun in his pocket. She hadn't seen it before, as it blended in more with his black jeans.

She flicked her eyes over to Jay, praying that their silent communication hadn't lost its touch. She caught his gaze, before quickly moving it to Garrett's pocket, then meeting him back again. He followed her movements, ever so subtly ticking up his brow.

She felt the corners of her mouth mimic the motion, ever so slightly flipping into a saddened grimace. Because that's when it dawned on her: they might not make it out of here. But she was willing to give her life if it meant Jay got to live his. He'd suffered enough.

"Are you both going to listen to me now?" Garrett demanded, and Hailey's head jerked up at the sound of the bullets being locked into place. "Or am I going to have to shoot you both right now?"

"No, no," Hailey said, trying her best to keep the panic out of her voice. "Look, Garrett, I know it's me you're really mad at, alright? So, just let Jay go, and you and me, we can sort this out…"

"Hailey!" Jay's mouth was slightly agape, not believing his ears. She saw the confusion painted on his face. She kept going regardless.

"Please, he's suffered enough. I'm begging you, Garrett. _Please_," she tried.

She was yanked up and thrown to the ground over by Jay. "You think I'm stupid?" He said, pointing the loaded weapon directly at her forehead.

"No, no, I don't…" she said, unable to make her hands stop shaking when she raised them up defensively. It'd be years since a gun had been pointed right at her, point blank. "I'm sorry," she said meekly, before Jay's harsh tone cut in.

"Point it at me, just point it at me, alright. Just quit…quit pointing it at her." Hailey's eyes caught his once more, and he looked just as sad as she felt.

She knew she had to act fast, and soon, because Garrett was getting angry, and anger plus a gun…well, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the end result.

She also knew that this could very well be the last moment she and Jay had together. She tried to communicate the love she felt for him through her eyes, but all that came were tears. And an "I'm sorry."

It got his attention long enough for him to look at her, to which she mouthed "I love you." That was the last thing she said before she lunged for Garrett's gun. But she was somewhat at peace with it, as at least she told him how she felt. That could be enough if she didn't make it; but would never be enough if she did.

* * *

Jay heard the shot. He watched helplessly as both bodies fell to the ground.

"_Hailey_?!" He cried out, as neither person moved on the floor.

He heard a crackling sound, and realized it was her radio. He heard his sergeant's voice saying "Shots fired, shots fired. Breach, now!"

And before he knew it, the cramped room was filled with the familiar faces of his unit. But the only person he cared about…he couldn't see. And that killed him. Because he didn't know if she was alright.

"**Hailey**," he said to Ruzek, who was trying to get the chains off him. "**Get** **Hailey**!"

He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from completely losing it, as he forced himself to watch as Ruzek and Burgess tended to the situation.

"Is she alright?"

When they didn't immediately answer, his raised voice drew all eyes to him. "Is she okay? Please," he heard his voice break that time, but he didn't care. He only felt relief when Kevin and Vanessa finished unhooking the chains from his arms, so he was free to get to Hailey himself.

He rushed over to her, as she lay next to Garrett, a pool of blood surrounding the two of them. She was face down, he was on his side. Jay hurriedly turned him over, as he didn't care what happened to him. But he knew that if _he_ was one shot, then that meant Hailey was alright.

He had turned Garrett to face him when he heard the greatest sound in the world. "Jay."

Hailey coughed, touching her head with one of her hands, which must've gotten hit on the way down.

"Hailey," Jay breathed, immediately scanning her body for injuries. "You–"

"Blood's his," she barely got out before she coughed again, her half-lidded eyes concerning Jay.

"Okay, we're gonna get you to Med, alright?" Jay said, not even caring that he was injured. He still picked her up like it was the most natural thing in the world. Because for them, it was. He had carried her into the hospital after _that night_; he was the only one who was going to do it now.

He found the paramedics waiting with a gurney at the entryway, so he gently placed her on it, running behind it as it was lifted up and out. Once she was at the bed of the ambulance, there was an oxygen mask placed over her face.

"I'm going with her," Jay stated, and Voight gave him a pat on the shoulder, as if to say _of course_. Because it wasn't supposed to be anyone else.

* * *

They were stitching up the cut on her head en route, and Jay grabbed one of Hailey's hands, not letting go the whole ride.

They had made it to the hospital, and she was being rolled in when he noticed something. Though she had the mask on over her face, it was clear, so he could still see when her lips curved into a small smile.

"Hey Hails," he breathed happily, letting himself smile at the sight of her bright blue eyes. "You can't…please don't leave me, alright? I just got you back…you've gotta come back to me because I need you to be okay. I…there's so much I want to tell you. Hold on for me, Hailey, _please._"

She surprised him by putting a tiny bit of pressure on his hand, like she was trying to squeeze it, but just didn't have the strength. What she did next shocked him, as she reached up with her other hand, to take off her mask.

"H–" He began, but was cut off by her smile, beautiful as ever.

"It's just like that song," she whispered. She blinked, trying to clear the tears from her eyes. "Finish the song, Jay. Please?"

He knew if it were anybody else, he'd honestly have no idea what on earth they were talking about. But, this was Hailey. _His Hailey_, and he knew what she meant.

_Can you hear me screaming please don't leave me?  
Hold on, I still want you. Come back, I still need you.  
Let me take your hand, I'll make it right. I swear to love you all my life.  
_

So, without a second thought, when they had a second alone, amidst all the hustle and bustle of getting her into a room, he took her hand back in his.

"I love you."

* * *

24 Hours Later

Jay woke up with a start. He heard beeping, and for a moment, didn't remember where he was. He ran a hand through his hair, embarrassed that he had forgotten he was still at Med. The beeping was from Hailey's heart and blood pressure monitor.

He looked at her, focusing on the littlest of details about her. The smattering of freckles on her nose that, if you looked just at the right angle, you could see peek through her skin. The way her lips didn't part, but instead almost pouted in her sleep. The way her breathing sounded, even and steady, not like someone who had just saved his life.

He didn't want to disturb her, but he still felt this great desire to be closer to her. So, he moved towards her bed, ready to try and slip his hand in with one of hers when she smiled.

"Hi Jay," she said, before her eyes finally popped open.

"How did you…oh hell, nevermind. I don't even wanna know," he admitted sheepishly.

"Cause I know you is why." She smirked slightly, surprising him once again by reaching out to grab his shirt collar, drawing him even closer to her. "And because I could smell mint from here." He was about to roll his eyes at her comment, but she smiled genuinely instead of jokingly at him. "I missed it," she confessed.

His eyes searched hers, as if he was trying to find something in them. Or, maybe make sure everything was still there. Because he didn't know when or if he'd see those eyes again. Hers were all over the place, mapping out every inch of his body, she wanted to remember all of it. Because she didn't know if or when she'd get to be this close to him again.

"I missed _you_," he whispered, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. She grabbed his hand, before interlacing their other ones together too.

"I'm just glad you're back. That you're home, and that you came back to me."

"I wouldn't have been if it wasn't for you. You saved my life, Hailey. I don't know how I could ever repay you."

"Oh, I can think of a few ways," she said, quirking her brow.

He gave her a half smile, but when he looked down, she softened her voice and made him look up.

"Hey," she whispered.

"I just…I know how you must've felt now. Because when I saw you lying there…I thought…"

"_Hey_," her reassuring tone didn't completely stop the tears from escaping his eyes, but it helped. "I'm right here. I came back to you. And I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

"I love you," he said, a little bolder than before, but it still melted Hailey's heart every time.

"I love you too, Jay." She leaned in, kissing him like it was the first time again, as she was tentative, he noticed.

He cupped her cheek with one of his hands, and she leaned into his touch, his warmth.

She loved that he was slow, just as careful as she was, or maybe careful because of her. Either way, it was sweet.

They were interrupted by a knock at the door, from his brother, no less. They broke apart, both looking at Will.

"Hey guys," he said. "Looks like you're all clear Hailey. Just take it easy for a day, alright?"

"So, I can take her home now?" Jay asked, and Hailey couldn't help but smile at how normal he sounded saying that.

"Yep. Just no gun battles for a while, alright?" Will said, smiling before giving them a quick wave as he exited their room.

Hailey turned to Jay, surprised by his almost hurried like demeanor. She watched as he shoved the few items of clothing and supplies she had in her bag, back into it.

"Come on," he prompted, which earned him a confused glance in return.

She was in the midst of tugging her sweats on when she heard him chuckle. She had tossed on her t-shirt while he was shoving things into her bag.

She narrowed her eyes at him, almost suspicious. She opened her mouth to ask him what was up, when he pulled her close and kissed her, this time _not_ so gentle.

"I can think of a few things we can do that still fit the bill," he grinned at her as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Oh yeah?" She teased.

"Yep," he replied, popping the 'p.' "You won't even have to move a muscle…"

"Is that right?" She inquired, even though she got a sense of what he was talking about after that passionate kiss.

"Yeah," he said, a bit more serious now, as he dropped his hands from her waist. "Because now that I've told you I love you, I wanna show you how much I love you."

She could feel her cheeks turn pink, but smiled at him anyway. "Well, let's get outta here then."

He grabbed her hand, ready with her bag in the other. He looked back when she didn't move with him.

"You said I wasn't gonna have to move a muscle," she teased, implying that she wanted him to carry her again.

"That I did," he smiled at her, loving the laugh she made as he piggybacked her instead. He wouldn't have it any other way.

Hailey was out of breath when they reached his truck, even though she wasn't the one that did anything. She hadn't laughed that much in a while, even though it was only like 2 minutes from her room to their vehicle.

But that wasn't what she was focused on. She was focused on Jay, and his signature smile he gave her as he kissed her cheek. She wouldn't have _that_ any other way, either.

And as they made their way back home, they both caught each other's eyes once more. Each signaling what the other one already knew: this was real, and this love was theirs. That was all they needed.

* * *

**A/N:**** And with that, this story is now complete. Hope ya'll enjoyed it, and thank you SO much for all the wonderful feedback! This has been my most commented story (not to mention the longest I've written!) wow...I had no idea it would be so popular. Thanks sincerely, I appreciate it, especially sticking w/me through the delays in updates. PS: Since I can't get over the roses scene from "Intimate Violence" you best believe I'm writing a one-shot of that. So stay tuned! -K. **


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